


Box of Chocolates

by PurseMonger



Category: Ranma 1/2
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-02
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2018-02-15 22:48:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 24,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2246235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurseMonger/pseuds/PurseMonger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of one-shots featuring my favorite couple, Ranma & Akane.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mornings

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own them, I'm just borrowing them for my own amusement.

Akane crept through her house slowly, trying to be as silent as possible. She loved quiet mornings and the opportunities they provided her.  She was the first person in the house to have woken today and had hurried through her morning bath, trying to give herself some extra time before everyone else was up and chaos ensued.  Moving down the hall, she made sure to step over any loose floorboards that would creak.  Reaching the door, she opened it slowly and smiled when she saw the figure underneath the covers, his chest moving up and down rhythmically. She moved to the side of the bed, unwrapped her robe and let it pool on the floor by her feet.  Slipping slowly under the covers, she spooned the figure underneath.  She smiled as she felt his warmth against her cool skin.  Gently, she kissed the back of his neck.

“’Kane?”

“Shh.  We don’t want wake anyone up,” she whispered into his ear.

Rolling over, he gave her a wicked smile that made her heart race. She kissed him lightly before pulling back and looking into his expressive blue eyes.  Even in the dim light of the early morning sun, she could clearly see the desire in them.  “Morning.”

“Morning.” He wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her closer to him. “This beats an alarm clock any day,” he added before pulling her into a long kiss.  He let his hands roam up and down the smooth skin of her back before cupping her bottom and causing her to moan in response.

Slowly he moved her onto her back and over her, bracing himself the arms that he placed on the sides of her head. He leaned down and started placing small kisses along her jaw and neck.

SLAM. 

Ranma quickly rolled off Akane and barely had time to brace himself as two bodies came flying at him. 

Akane sat up quickly while pulling the covers over her chest in an attempt to maintain her modesty.  She looked towards the side of her bed and stared into the feminine eyes blinking owlishly at her.  Guiltily, she smiled back. 

Looking back over her shoulder, Akane saw Ranma still in battle with his two attackers.  The scrimmage lasted a little while longer before Ranma was pinned down.

“Give up!”

“You know you can’t win!”

“Ok, ok!  I give up, you win!” Ranma grunted.

“Yay!!!”

“Mommy, Mommy!  We beat daddy!”

Now cuddling her two year old daughter, whom she pulled onto her lap during the “Saotome Surprise Attack”, Akane chuckled at the two older boys still bouncing on the bed.  “Yes, I can see that.  It looks like practicing all those sneak attacks have paid off. I didn’t even hear you come down the hall.”

The boys beamed at her praise, giving Akane cocky grins that reminded her of their father. Getting out of bed, Ranma picked up his little princess and gave her a loud kiss on the cheek, causing her to squeal in delight. “Since you did so well, how about pancakes for breakfast?” The boys started jumping up and down on the bed, excited about the prospect of such a treat.  “Alright, come downstairs and Mommy can join us after she’s done getting ready.” Akane watched as both boys ran out of the room with the speed they gained from training.  Ranma, still carrying their daughter, followed them out.  Glancing back at her, he winked before closing their bedroom door.

Akane flopped back down and closed her eyes thinking, _Oh well.  There’s always tomorrow_.


	2. First Date

Ranma Saotome was leaning against the gates of Furinkan High School, trying to look calm and cool, and pretending he didn’t have care in the world.  But for those who knew him, small signs of agitation could be seen. 

It had been 42 minutes since the school day ended and he had not seen hide nor hair of his fiancée. The petite blue haired one, to be specific.  

When the bell rang at the end of the school day, Akane had told him that she needed to stay late and suggested he head home without her, even though she knew the suggestion was pointless.  She was well aware that since their return from China, Ranma got...anxious…if she was out of his sight for long.    

A few weeks after the events in Jusendo, Ranma was working on some katas in the dojo while waiting for Akane to come home from school.  When two hours had passed and she still hadn't come home or called, he took off in search for her.  After having grilled the usual suspects, he had started to become frantic, believing she had been kidnapped again, or worse.  Agitated and racing home to gather his supplies, he ran right by Akane before recognizing her and backtracking.  The fight that ensued was one of the loudest that was ever viewed by the residents of Nerima, which is saying something.  

After that day, Ranma began to follow Akane around, almost like a shadow.  At first, she hated it and they often fought about her need for independence and privacy.  After a surprisingly honest conversation, she finally understood his fear.  Since then, she began to tolerate his behavior but she still tried to get him to leave her alone for longer periods of time.  Ranma was only ever comfortable when he knew Akane was at home with at least one other person there to watch over her.  Even then, he would only leave the house for short periods of time.   Akane even went as far as suggesting he spend time with his childhood friend and other fiancée, Ukyo Kuonji, at her restaurant.  Ranma brushed off the idea quickly, a fact that both pleased and frustrated Akane.

That wasn't the only change to their relationship since the horrifying events in Jusendo.  They had been getting along better and rarely fought seriously anymore.  They still argued every day; that's just how their relationship worked.  They had slowly, very slowly, started to show their feelings for each other and had developed a nice rhythm in the way they interacted.

When no one was around, Ranma would hold Akane’s hand and on nights when everyone else went to bed before them, they would stay up and watch movies together.  Akane resting her head on his shoulder while he draped his arm around her. 

Ranma glanced at the big clock on the school tower; 47 minutes. He drummed his fingers on the wall, willing himself to calm down.

Hearing the distinctive sound of teenage girls giggling, he looked over and watched as a group of his classmates walked by.  Many of them waving to him as they passed, some of them giving him appraising looks which he ignored.   

Akane wasn’t there. 

He jerked suddenly to an upright position, ready to dash off, when the front doors opened and a smiling Akane walked out the doors. As she approached, he saw a twinkle in her eyes and knew she wanted something.  Sure enough, she stopped right in front of him, her hands clasped behind her back, rocking back on forth on her feet.

"Ranma," she sing-songed, "will you come with me to get ice-cream?"

_Is that all?_ "Sure, let me go get some water..."

"As a boy."

_There it is. Maybe, I can use this to my advantage_.  This was part of the game they played, she would ask him for something, he would say no, and she would then pout cutely, causing him to give her what she wanted. They both knew he would do almost anything she asked, he just had to pretend to put up a fight first. "Awww…come on 'Kane, you know guys don't eat that stuff."

_Queue the puppy dog eyes_.

Akane, tilted her head to the side, her mouth pouting slightly, her eyes going round, "Please?"

_Damn, she's cute_ _when she pouts.  Look at those lips.._.  "Well, what do I get out of it?"

"Ice cream of course! I'll buy." She said, grinning broadly at him and practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Nah, it won't taste the same as a guy and I'll be embarrassed. What else you got?"

Akane looked at him through half lidded eyes, her voice almost sultry, "Well, what do you want?"

His mind froze and then several images ran through his mind causing a blush to creep across his face. Once he got his mind out of the gutter, he gave it some serious thought.  He chuckled nervously and said, "Umm...there's this movie I wanna see."

"Which one?” she asked suspiciously. 

"The latest Saw movie is out."

Akane’s smile faded.  Ranma knew that she hated scary movies, but what she hated more was admitting she was frightened by them. Normally, Ranma wouldn’t do anything that would make her scared or sad, but Ranma really liked the way Akane acted during scary movies. They’d start off seated next to each other on the couch and she would slowly inch her way closer to Ranma during the movie. By the middle of the movie, Akane was practically sitting in his lap.  During the suspenseful parts, she would tuck her head down onto his chest, covering her eyes with her hands while he wrapped his arms around her, grinning like an idiot.  “Protecting” her like that gave his male ego a boost that was similar to the feeling  he only experienced after saving her from danger.  He couldn’t complain about getting to hold her in his arms for almost two hours either.

"Umm... you know, it’s ok."

_Hmmm. Not exactly the response I was expecting_.  "OK, well what do you want?”

“Hmmmm…” She stood there, finger taping her chin, “I don’t know. How about we go to a movie but we watch something else? The new Sandra Bullock movie is out.”

Ranma’s face immediately wrinkled in distaste.  “How about we go see the Saw movie but I take you to dinner too?” 

"Really?"

"Yeah, sure."

"There’s that new Italian restaurant that I’ve been wanting to try.  Could we go there?”

“Sure, tomboy’s choice,” Ranma smirked. 

Akane rolled her eyes at him before asking, “When?"

"How about right now?"

"Well, Kasumi probably has dinner started already. I wouldn't want her to waste all that food if she cooked for us and we have all that homework to do tonight."

"Ummm...tomorrow?"

Akane smirked at him, "We can't, I have that slumber party tomorrow. You know, the one you _asked_ me so _sweetly_ to have at the home instead of going to Yuka's house."

Ranma's face turned red at the memory of the "conversation" they had when Akane announced she would be gone the entire night for a sleep over. He cleared his throat, "Right. Saturday?"

"Saturday?"

"Unless, you have something else to do."

"No, I don’t have any plans for Saturday." She flashed Ranma her trademark smile which caused his teenage hormones to respond to in the predictable way. “So dinner, a movie, and ice-cream on Saturday." The gleam came back into her eyes, "It's a date!"

"Yeah, sure a...."

Akane giggled and skipped off, leaving a slack-jawed Ranma staring at her back. 

_Gotcha_ , she thought.

And that is how Akane Tendo got Ranma Saotome to take her out on their first date.

AN: Probably not my best work but I couldn't get this little scene out of my head. I thought that left to his own devices, Ranma may never get around to asking Akane out and with the right circumstances, she would give him a slight nudge. I hope you liked it. Thanks for reading!


	3. Pie

Pie

"I'm home!" Ranma called out as he walked into the house.

Akane looked over and gave him a wide smile and greeted him with peck on the cheek, which caused him to blush. "How was your day?"

"Umm. It was ok," he shrugged then scratched the back of his head. "How 'bout you?"

"It was great! I found a new recipe and made you something special! Why don't you wash up and I'll get you a snack."

When Ranma sat down at the table he was excitedly anticipating the food to come. Akane quickly set a cup down in front of him. Looking in the cup, Ranma made a face. "What's this?"

"It's tea!"

"Umm...it has leaves in it."

Rolling her eyes, Akane replied, "Of course it has leaves in it. What do you think tea is made with?"

Ranma looked at his tea again before pushing it slightly to the side. "So, what did you make?"

"Pie, let me go get it!"

A little more leery now, he watched as Akane came back holding something brown and lumpy that was shaped like a pie...sort of. Ranma looked on, horrified as she cut into it. As she placed a piece on the plate he realized it began oozing down to the floor. Ignoring the mess, Akane placed it in front of Ranma and gave him beaming, expectant smile. He looked nervously down at the…stuff on his plate and poked it with his fork before saying, "Ummm. 'Kane, this...well...this looks like it was made from dirt." Not noticing Akane's smile falter he went on, "Don't ya got any real food?"

Gritting her teeth, Akane said, "This is all there is Ranma."

Ranma groaned and crossed his arms over his chest, "I knew I shoulda gone to Ukyo's today. I always get somethin tasty when I'm there."

"Ranma!"

"What? I'm hungry 'Kane!" Ranma whined.

"You're always hungry! What am I supposed to do?" She asked stomping her foot.

"I don't know! Can't we ask Kasumi to bring us a snack or somethin?"

"No! She's busy!"

"Fine, can't you go get something else, like chips or pocky?"

"No! You know I'm not allowed into the kitchen right now!"

"Fine. But I'm not gonna even pretend to try that!" He shouted while pointing at his plate.

"Fine! Forget it! I don't wanna play with you anymore!" Akane yelled at him before she turned around and ran out of the play house.

"Aww, come back 'Kane," Ranma yelled at her, "we can play tag or hide and seek instead! We could even spar if you want!"

Akane turned, pulled down her right eye, stuck out her tongue and went, "Biiii". She turned around again and ran right by their laughing parents on the way to her room.

Ranma just stared after her before sticking his hands in his pockets, he lowered his head and began kicking rocks. He muttered, "Tomboys shouldn't want to play house anyway."

Still laughing at their children's antics, Soun slapped Genma on the back and said, "They're already a perfect couple."


	4. Yin

Sitting on the engawa, legs tucked under her while sipping on her tea, Akane looked like an average teenage girl enjoying the afternoon sun on a beautiful spring day. But, while she was enjoying the afternoon sun, she was no average girl.  Even before her fiancé moved in and brought along numerous bizarre events and a bevy of followers, both hostile and friendly (a little too friendly if you asked her), Akane had led a rather unusual life.  She spent years being trained in an obscure form of martial arts by her father; not exactly the typical afternoon activity for a young Japanese girl. After her mother passed away suddenly, her father had stopped training her and she began to train herself.  She was rather successful at it, all you had to do was ask any of the boys she used to beat up on a daily basis.  That was another strange thing about Akane, most high school girls didn’t have to pummel their way through a crowd of hormonal boys before they could get to class.

The daily challenges stopped shortly after she got engaged. Ranma, her aforementioned fiancé, had been an instrumental factor in ending the morning attacks and was probably the oddest thing about her life.  After all, how many modern day relationships involved arranged marriages?  Much less to a fiancé that was engaged or bound to at least two other girls (she always assumed another fiancée would show up eventually).  No, her life was anything but normal, which was why she was currently lost in thought instead of just enjoying her rare quiet afternoon. 

As always, Akane’s thoughts revolved around Ranma. 

When she was younger, Akane always thought she would fall for someone who was smart, funny, kind and would sweep her off her feet.  Who knew she would end up with someone brash, insensitive, and loved to insult her?

Akane mentally sighed, she knew Ranma wasn’t all bad, he _did_ have his good points.  If he didn’t, it would be much easier to hate him, dislike him, or even just ignore him. It took a while but she finally understood that his brashness was often used to over compensate for his shyness and a result of being socially awkward.  Part of her was surprised that Ranma turned out as well as he did.  She couldn’t imagine what it would be like for Genma, of all people, being solely responsible for teaching anyone manners and the importance of social interaction. Ranma was funny in his own way and very kind. Not that he would want anyone to know it, that would totally undermine his reputation as a bad-ass martial artist.  She had been exposed to his insults for a while now and she was learning to deal with them, mostly she learned to ignore them. Though, there were times his comments hit harder than others, usually when they made her to think he didn’t like her.  Or worse, that he actually preferred someone else.

It took her a while to understand her feelings and even longer to accept her feelings.  But now, Akane was sure that she was in love with Ranma.  A fact that wouldn’t shock anyone if they found out, even the other girls.  It was obvious to everyone but Ranma.  With her spending months literally fending off attackers to protect her virtue and screaming she hated boys, what would shock most everyone was something she wouldn’t like to admit; Akane wanted Ranma in a very physical way. 

Her attraction to him started early on in their relationship, really since the first time she saw him in his male form.  It was embarrassing to think about it but she would never forget that encounter.  After a confusing afternoon where she and her sisters had escaped an arranged marriage and she made a new friend, Akane headed for a bath when she was understandably shocked to see a naked guy come out of the furio.  Surprised, she just stood there and stared.  Stared. 

Not because she was scared like she would later claim, but because he was the first male she ever saw fully naked.  She locked eyes with an unfamiliar face before her eyes started to roam downwards on their own accord. She saw strong broad shoulders, a hard chest, powerful arms and a trim stomach with clearly defined abdominals. With water dripping from every muscle on his body, Ranma looked like an Adonis and left her feeling warm.   As her gaze fell below his waist, she suddenly identified the new thoughts and emotions she was feeling as desire.  Shocked at her own response, she finally exited the furio and still confused she leaned on the bathroom door, trying to understand what had happened and get her emotions in check. 

Away from the tempting sight, her thoughts caught up with her and realizing she _should_ be concerned at seeing an unknown male in her home, she ran towards her family, screaming about an intruder.  When Nabiki had asked her why she didn’t clobber the intruder when she saw him, she blushed at the memory before screaming that she was scared.  Her confusing afternoon took another turn when she was introduced to the real Ranma.  Her father had insisted that his curse wouldn’t be a problem and when her sisters volunteered her to be his fiancée, she was hurt but not surprised. What really made her angry was Ranma’s reaction to the engagement.  She could understand his frustration with being engaged to a stranger and the desire to leave for a cure but his comments about her body were too painful to bear.  Akane wasn’t a vain girl but after having such strong physical reaction to seeing him nude, his comments about her physical attributes were painful.  So, she reacted how she normally did when a male made her mad, she hit him.  

Later that night, she spent quite a bit of time going through her day and analyzing her reaction to seeing her new fiancé in the buff.  Akane had spent years thinking she was in love with Dr. Tofu but she had never, not once, had a reaction to him the way she did with Ranma.  She had always found Dr. Tofu to be a kind, reliable, funny sort; the exact kind of man she thought she would have fallen for. Akane had spent many afternoons imagining married life with Dr. Tofu.  She imagined welcoming him home from work with a perfectly made dinner after a long day of work, evening strolls in the park while holding hands and once she imagined kissing him.  But she realized that in all those years, she had never been physically attracted to him. Looking back at those fantasies, she realized how childish her daydreams were.

Still hurt from his insults, Akane decided that she would try to fight her attraction to the first boy to ever capture her attention. She laughed when she remembered the promise she made to herself; to never fall in love with her own fiancé.  Who knew how impossible it would be to resist him?

It was funny how easy it was to fall for him.  There was just something about Ranma that pulled at her. Even when she was mad at him and wanted to ignore him on his first day at her school, she found herself helping him and defending him.  She could clearly remember the first moment Ranma held her in his arms, saving her from Ryoga’s flying bandanas.  It felt so safe and comfortable being in his arms that she completely forgot that he was a she at the time.  Akane couldn’t believe the effect he had on her, even when he was a girl.  She realized she really fell for Ranma when he first claimed her as his fiancée during the ice-skating match.  In front of a crowd, Ranma stood there angry, ready to fight and save her from another man-even if it was to only save her from a kiss-and Akane could only stare at him as a confusing combination of affection, lust and embarrassment ran through her.  With everything else happening at the time, she didn’t realize how she felt until she saw him with another girl. The burning feeling of jealousy was not something she could ignore.  There were so many moments they shared, so many times he saved or defended her and each time she was left loving him a little more. 

It was embarrassing how he made her feel when he had to rescue her.  She was a martial artist in her own right, even if she couldn’t compare herself to the likes of Ranma, Ryoga, and Shampoo, who spent every day of their lives training.  How could she admit that when Ranma protected her, she felt so… girly?  When he had her in his arms, running and jumping around like she weighed nothing, she wanted nothing more than to just swoon in his arms. 

The boy hater.

Wanting to swoon. 

It was mortifying.

But there was nothing she could do, or wanted to do to stop the feeling.  All she knew was that it was something she could never tell her fiancé. If Ranma ever found out, he would laugh at her and his head would get so big that he’d never be able to fit through the front door.  No, this was something she had to keep to herself. 

She accepted her attraction to him long ago but was often surprised at how it manifested itself.  She never would have guessed she would be so fascinated with his hands. Ranma’s were so utterly masculine; large and calloused through years of training.  She’d seen him do spectacular things with those hands through the years and knew how much power they contained.  Yet, she knew he could be so gentle with them when he wanted to be.  She could still remember how carefully he held her hand on their walk home from Ryugenzawa. Afterwards, she spent hours thinking of all the ways she wanted to feel his hands on her.     

Akane only wished that her fantasies could become reality.  It was hard when she couldn’t tell him how she felt about him.  But, with three other girls constantly offering him their affections and their bodies, she wouldn’t be lumped in with the others by throwing herself at him. No matter how much she wanted him. 

 She had, for a short time, hoped that things had changed and that he had loved her.  His actions at Jusendo followed by his declaration of love were the final push she needed to agree to marry him.  She would have never agreed to the wedding just for the nannichiuan, despite what everyone thought. All her hopes came crashing down when Ranma denied ever saying he loved her.  Or claimed he couldn’t remember it. Even if she was positive that she heard him, it didn’t matter.  If he couldn’t admit that he loved her, wasn’t it the same as him never saying it? 

So she sat and brooded.  She was stuck.  She couldn’t leave him and she wouldn’t force him to be with her.  So she did the only thing she could do, wait. 

Wait for him to decide what he wanted out of life.  Wait for him to decide how to deal with all the pressures he was put under by his father. Wait for him to decide who he wanted to be with. 

After all, the choice was his.  It always has been. 

 

 


	5. Yang

_‘She_ _’_ _s fine._ _She_ _’_ _s safe.  She_ _’_ _s fine._ _She_ _’_ _s safe. She_ _’_ _s fine._ _She_ _’_ _s safe._ _’_

 

This had been Ranma’s mantra since the doctor came out and told him that Akane’s surgery had been a success.  When he heard those words, he collapsed in a chair next to Kasumi.  He had spent the last few hours pacing back and forth and hadn’t realized how tense he was until his entire body relaxed on hearing the good news. The only person in the waiting room more agitated than Ranma was Soun, who had been crying and wailing since he reached the hospital. 

 

Kasumi had been kept busy trying to calm Soun down and keep his outbursts from becoming too loud.  When she had reached the waiting room, Nabiki sat down, picked up the nearest magazine and crossed her legs; she hadn't moved since.   Her calm demeanor was undermined by the constant twitching of her foot and the fact that she hadn’t turned a page in her magazine since she picked it up.   Nodoka had spent her time quietly taking care of the family; bringing everyone drinks and snacks that no one touched and tidying up the waiting room.  Ranma was sure his mother had arranged and rearranged the magazine rack at least five times in between trips to cafeteria to refresh their untouched tea. 

 

Genma was also there.  Being the only person in the room who was more socially inept than Ranma, he had no idea how to handle the situation.  In order to avoid anything as complex as emotions, Genma’s normal escape in turbulent situations was to change himself into a panda. But he was afraid the hospital would kick him out, so he sat stoically near his best friend.  In the back of his mind, Ranma registered the true concern his father had shown by not falling asleep.

 

Upon hearing the doctor’s news and receiving promises that everyone could visit Akane shortly, the entire blended family seemed to come back to themselves. Nodoka smiled pleasantly and took out the embroidery she seemed to constantly carry with her now that the Saotome honor blade was no longer attached to her side. Kasumi’s smile returned to her face as she sat next to Nodoka and began a quiet discussion over what they should plan for dinner. Nabiki, finally realizing she had been staring at a men’s magazine, had replaced it quickly with a fashion magazine and actually started to look at the images before her. Soun, however, cried even louder before calming down.  Genma pulled out a travel shogi board which drew Soun's attention andboth patriarchs retreated to a corner to continue their never ending game of who-can-cheat-better.  Ranma was the only one left with nothing to do. 

 

What he really wanted to do was to hit something, anything really.  But he didn’t want to leave the hospital; he had to see for himself that Akane was okay.  He longed to pick a fight with Mousse or hunt down Happosai to give him a beating he deserved for….well, he could figure that out later.

 

But all of it was misplaced anger for he was really mad at himself.It was his fault Akane was in this predicament in the first place, wasn’t it?  He had seen the signs, he had known something was wrong, but he didn’t do anything about it until it was almost too late.    

 

It had started yesterday during breakfast.  Akane had been eating her breakfast and began fidgeting.  As he watched her from the corner of his eye, he knew something was wrong. She kept repeating the same motions, which looked like an attempt to trying to stretch her chest as if it were tight.  She would also occasionally bring her hands to her chest and rub it slightly.  When he asked what was wrong, she brushed it off, saying she was fine.  She then hurried off to spend the day with her friends. 

 

When he saw her again at dinner, she was still fidgeting and would rub her chest throughout dinner. It was obvious to everyone by then that something was wrong and when Kasumi asked Akane in her quiet concerned voice, his fiancée finally admitted to having some pain in her chest. As she saw her father’s face drop in concern she quickly added that there was nothing to worry about.  Kasumi firmly suggested that Akane go to see Dr. Tofu on the way to school the next day, just as a precaution.   Akane, not wanting to miss school, had agreed to go see the doctor but only once school was over.  Happy with the concession, Kasumi let the matter drop. 

 

Ranma, eating his food and pretending to ignore the conversation, frowned and wanted to insist that she see Tofu right away.  He was sure the doctor would consent to come to the house if Akane called him, but he knew that she wouldn’t want to trouble the doctor.  And if even Kasumi couldn’t get her to see Tofu until tomorrow afternoon, there was little anyone else could do to convince her otherwise.  So he resolved to do the only thing he could; keep an eye on her until she went to the clinic.

 

The next day, Ranma could tell that Akane was still in pain but she remained stubborn in her refusal to go directly to the doctor.  They had walked to school a little slower than normal, but he was in no rush and wanted to make sure she didn’t overextend herself.  They were even fortunate enough to miss their daily Attack of the Amazon, which allowed them to arrive to school on time.

 

Everything was going as well as could be expected until they had gym that afternoon.  That stupid stubborn tomboy had refused to sit out and insisted on participating even though she was in pain.  Ranma volunteered to go first during the high jump section in track and field - easily clearing the six foot height - so that he could spend the rest of class keeping an eye on his fiancée.  The girls were doing another session of softball and Akane came up to bat midway through the period.  She hit a homer and was just rounding first when it happened; Akane collapsed. 

 

Ranma rushed over, picked Akane up bridal style and headed towards Dr. Tofu’s clinic even before her teacher could reach her.  Yelling for help as soon as he got through the doors, Ranma laid her down gently as the good doctor rushed in.  After a quick examination, Dr. Tofu called an ambulance and had Akane rushed to the emergency room of the nearest hospital.  When the paramedics got there, Dr. Tofu told them that he thought she had a collapsed lung and that the hospital would be waiting to admit her. Ranma sat with her in the ambulance and held her hand, only letting go when she was brought into the ER.  There he sat and waited.  He could only assume that Dr. Tofu had called the Tendos and his parents because they arrived shortly thereafter.

 

Ranma clenched his hands into fists as he thought over the day’s events.  He had almost failed her, hadn’t he?  It was his job to protect her - even if it was from herself - and he couldn’t even do that correctly.  He should have tried to get her to the doctor sooner, even if he had to drag her, kicking and screaming. 

 

Throughout his wait in the emergency room, Ranma’s mind had been filled with images of Akane and all the dangers that she had been through since he had come to town: 

 

Ryoga and his flying bandanas.  Kodachi with her sneak attacks.  Mikado and Azusa with their couple cleaver.  Shampoo’s kiss of death. Akane drowning in an attempt to help him in his fight against Cologne.  The dojo destroyer.   Mousse kidnapping Akane and threatening her with cursed water. Principal Kuno stringing her up in the rafters. Akane in flames in an attempt to help him train when he lost his strength.  Akane trapped in the hurricane created by his Hiryu Shoten Ha. Akane kidnapped by Pantyhose Taro.  Akane kidnapped by Lime. Akane being thrown by Herb.  Akane being drowned by the Yamata-Orochi. Akane being trapped in the poisonous plant by Pink and Link. Akane trapped inside that doll.  Akane kidnapped by Kiima. Akane shrinking into a doll.  Akane dead in his arms. 

 

Ranma shuddered at the last memory.  Images of her cold and unresponsive body in his arms haunted his dreams, causing him to wake up in a cold sweat frequently.  Before Jusendo, he had always thought their adventures were fun and exciting.  Sure, they were a little dangerous and stressful at times, but they both came out stronger at the end.  A little closer too.

 

After Jusendo, he had a different outlook on their adventures.  After almost losing her, he realized how dangerous those exploits were and memories of how terrified, angry, and scared he was during those events came flooding back to him.  

 

After having seen Akane at the hospital, he was now at home.  The visit had done nothing to ease his worries since she had been unconscious for the entire visit.  Sitting alone on the roof, he stared blankly at the stars.

 

Having spent the day facing the idea of living the rest of his life without her, he knew he could no longer put off the inevitable.

 

Admitting his love for the blue haired beauty would change life drastically.  He was only 17 and too young to get married.  How would he support her without at least a high school education?  He certainly didn’t want to live off her father for the rest of their lives.

 

What would everyone else do if they discovered his true feelings?  He considered everyone in their small circle to be friends, even though most of them had wanted to kill him at one time or another, and he didn't want to lose the people he had grown attached to. 

 

If he told Akane the truth, he would have to marry her quickly to try and avoid any attacks by Shampoo, Ukyo and Kodachi.  He wasn't too worried about her dealing with one on one fights with the last two but she was still no match for the crazy Amazon.  Worse was the idea that they would gang up on her. 

 

After they found out about his marriage, would they just leave?  He didn't really care about Shampoo, he would actually be glad to see the back of her as she left Nerima forever. Shampoo had crossed the line when she had threatened Akane's life when she was dehydrated and unable to defend herself.  Then attacking Akane with bombs so soon after she was finally safe? He would never forgive her for her actions.  

 

But what about the old Ghoul? He would miss her if she left.  Sure, he didn't really get along with her but she had taught him so much.  Her challenges and training were often asisine but they pushed him further than he thought possible.  He knew that he would not be as powerful or agile as he was now without her help.  

 

And he would truly miss Mousse.  He knew that Mousse had always considered Ranma a rival but Ranma never saw him that way.  After all their adventures together, he thought of Mousse as his buddy, one of the guys.

 

The Delusional Duo, Tatewaki and Kodachi, was one pair he would be happy to get rid of. But he doubted that would ever happen; they were frustratingly persistent.  He had some concerns that Kuno’s obsession would turn dangerous after he brought a real katana to the wedding. But he was confident that neither of them posed real threat.  So he gave no thought on how to getrid of them, which would have been as affective as trying to get fleas off an alley ca-c-c...stray dog.

 

Then what would happen when Ukyo found out?  He didn't want to lose his oldest friend but he knew she would never accept "losing".  She had a violent streak that unfortunately would be directed at Akane.  And while he knew his fiancée could hold her own in a fight with Ukyo, Akane didn't have it in her to really hurt the other girl.  He was sure Ukyo would just keep attacking both of them until she ruined any chance to redeem their friendships.  

 

He was less concerned about Ryoga.  Now that he was with Akari, he seemed to finally be over his stupid crush on Akane.  But sooner or later, Ranma knew he would have to tell her the truth about P-Chan and he didn't know how Akane would take it.  At the very least, he expected to be pounded with the nearest blunt object.  But she could very well assume the worst and leave him.  It was something he didn't want to risk but knew he had to finally tell her the truth.  He couldn't even explain to himself why he let the lie go on for as long as it had.

 

But he was finally willing to deal with everything that would come.  He couldn't imagine losing her without ever have told her how he felt.  He would tell her how he felt as soon as she was awake.  

 

After waiting for everyone to go to sleep, he left the house and went to the hospital, sneaking into her room, undetected by any of the nurses on duty.  He sat and allowed himself to stare at her, something he couldn't do when she was awake.

 

Akane had such a large personality that often overwhelmed his senses and made him forget how petite she was. She had always been a natural beauty but he couldn't focus on that as he stared at the tubes and wires monitoring her vital signs.  She looked so small and childlike as she slept in the hospital bed.

 

Ranma was shaken at how vulnerable she looked.   It wasn't natural.  It wasn't right.  His Akane was supposed to be vibrant and full of life. 

 

He pulled the chair closer so he could hold her hand while she slept, needing that connection as proof that she was alive.  He spent the rest of the night sitting next to her like a sentinel, their hands joined. 

 

As the sun broke over the horizon, Akane stirred.  Looking around, she was confused by her surroundings but a smile broke out over her face as she locked eyes with her fiancé.  Throat dry, she croaked, "Ranma?"

 

Smiling slightly, Ranma rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, a blush creeping over his face. It was now or never.

"Hey, tomboy...”

 


	6. Just A Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my usual style, you might hate it. Definite OOCness.

**Just a Kiss**

Akane Tendo had opened the door to her classroom, intent on retrieving her forgotten book, and walked in on her fiancé locking lips with his other fiancée, Ukyo Kounji. She froze in shock but her body reacted instantly at the sight. Hands fisted so tightly that the knuckles were white. Jaw clenched tightly. Steam coming out of her ears. Eyes narrowed as lightning bolts shot from their centers at the scene before her.

Almost immediately the pair separated and their heads turned in direction of the door. Ukyo's smile turned smug and Ranma's eyes widened in shock.

"Ak-Akane? Wh-what are you doing here?" he stuttered.

"Oh don't let me interrupt. Please continue," she ground out as she motioned with her hands that they should carry on. She turned, slammed the door behind her, breaking the glass panel on the door, and stomped away from the room, completely forgetting about her book.

"Wait! It's not what it looked like!" Ranma cried as he ran to catch up to her, completely ignoring Ukyo calling after him.

He received no response other than the blue-haired girl's battle aura becoming visible. She was angry true, and she held onto the anger because for now, it masked the bone deep pain that threatened to cripple her. She refused to cry.

"Come on, she kissed me! I didn't do nothing!" he yelled as he followed her outside, carefully keeping at least an arm-length away from her, not noticing or caring about the scene he was causing.

The blue-haired girl kept walking along, ignoring his comments, and anyone who was in her path gave her a wide berth.

 _This is bad,_ Ranma thought to himself. He'd expected her to hit him, to send him into the stratosphere but all she did was walk away. He cursed his luck having her walk in when she did. Had she come a moment earlier, she would have seen Ukyo throw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his, pinning them to his sides. Not that he would have been able to do anything anyway, the shock had been too great. No, he was cursed to have Akane see him in the most incriminating positions possible.

"Will ya quit it and just listen to me?!" He called after her.

There was no response; not even a pause in her gait. Ranma began to fume at the injustice. He had not asked for the kiss, he had not wanted it, and he had certainly not enjoyed it! Yet he was being punished, being made the villain.

He lashed out saying, "Stop being so uncute!"

A collective gasp came out of the student body as those closest to the couple took a step back. Ranma watched as Akane came to an abrupt halt. He could see her aura turn black as she hung her head. She turned slowly around, her head still down, her hair shading her eyes.

 _Good,_  he thought. Now she would hit him, get her anger out, his guilt – and he had no idea why he should feel guilty – would be lessened and they could move on.

"You can do whatever you want, Ranma. I. Don't. Care." she said.

_She doesn't care? Oh. Hell. No._

There was a lot of things he could take. She could hit him, yell at him, ignore him, but saying she didn't care was taking it too far. He couldn't, wouldn't accept that!

"Damnit! Don't be such a stubborn tomboy! It was just a kiss!" he screamed in agitation, while pulling at his hair.

Akane finally looked up at him, a gleam in her eye - that would have been more fitting on Shampoo's face - a small, humorless smile on her lips. She walked forward to him and he braced himself for the pain. But it didn't come.

Instead she had turned to the right and walked straight up to Hiroshi. She placed two hands on his face and pulled him forward and planted her lips on his.

She was kissing him!

Every jaw dropped and all eyes widened at the sight. Hiroshi's body seemed to become limp, little hearts fluttering over his head. There was a moment of complete silence until cameras started clicking all around them.

"What the HELL!" Ranma screamed as his hands shook. His eyes narrowed, his hands fisted in anger, as steam came out of his ears.

Akane let Hiroshi go and he fell into a puddle on the floor with a goofy smile on his face. She turned to look at Ranma. She licked her lips, purposefully, trying to further goad her fiancé before she schooled her face into a look of wide eyed innocence.

Anger threatening to overwhelm him, Ranma could think of nothing else to say and only repeated, "WHAT THE HELL!"

She tilted her head to the side and shrugged her shoulder and said in a sugary sweet voice, "What's wrong, Ranma? After all, it was  _just_  a kiss."

She walked past him, ignoring the fact that his face was so red it was close to purple and he was shaking in rage at he glared down at Hiroshi, who was still a giant puddle of happiness on the floor. Akane headed home, resisting the urge to wipe her mouth. She now thought she knew what he had meant. When you kissed someone who doesn't matter, it meant nothing. It was just a kiss. And hers had been slightly salty (Hiroshi must have been eating chips right before the incident).

But she didn't care because revenge, revenge tasted oh so sweet.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Ranma. He was the total victim in this one. The idea came from the fact that Ranma expects Akane to just accept the compromising situations he finds himself in but if the roles were reversed, he would lose his shit. The scene popped into my head, demanded to be written, and took a direction of it's own.
> 
> For those of you who read "Worth Waiting For," I do plan on a sequel.


	7. Chapter 7

Akane Saotome stood in front of her bedroom mirror clad only in a bra and panties, gazing at her reflection. She brought her hands to her midsection, running her fingers over her abdomen.

 _Stretch marks,_  she thought, a small sigh escaping her lips.

Ranma was walking by the room he shared with his wife, when he glanced over and saw her standing in front of the mirror in only her bra and panties. He walked right past the room before his mind processed what he saw and he backtracked immediately. He leaned on the doorjamb and gazed admiringly at his wife. He was amazed that he seemed to love her more as time passed. Kids had softened her personality and she was still so beautiful after all these years, maybe even more so. Especially when she was standing there in only a blue lacy bra and panty set.

He loved the quiet moments they had together now that the kids were all in school. They got a few hours alone between the time the kids were dropped off and the dojo opening at noon. He continued to watch her quietly until he heard her sigh.

He frowned and shook his head. Akane was turning thirty this month and his normally confident wife seemed to be acting strangely. He never thought that it would bother her like it had the other women they associated with.

Straightening up, he walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist, placing his chin on her shoulder. She leaned into him automatically and brought her hands to rest on his arms.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said quietly.

Squeezing her gently around the waist, he said, "Come on, you can tell me."

"It's stupid," she replied.

She felt embarrassed at being caught in a moment of vulnerability over something as trivial as her looks. When Ranma didn't reply and only made eye contact with her through the mirror, she sighed again and relented.

"It's just…my stomach looks horrible! Look at all these stretch marks!" she finally whined.

Ranma would have laughed but he had gained some self-preservation skills since they first married. He didn't want to laugh at her but he was just flabbergasted by her comment. He had seen her stomach up close many, many, _many_ , times and he really had no idea what she was complaining about. True, there were some marks scarring her otherwise perfect abs, but they had faded from the harsh red they were when she was first pregnant to a very light silvery white that blended well with her porcelain skin. If you weren't specifically looking for them, you wouldn't even notice them.

"Akane, you are beautiful. There's nothing wrong with your stomach," he said.

She just rolled her eyes and replied, "You're supposed to say that."

Now it was his turn to sigh, but he managed to keep it internal. He should have known better than to try to rationalize with the feminine side of her, because really there was no rationalizing with women about their looks. Instead he decided to reason with the one part of her he really understood; the martial artist in her.

He pointed to a small scar on her shoulder, one of the few that she earned while in a fight and said, "Does this scar bother you?"

She looked at it and realized that the mark had never bothered her. It actually made her proud when she saw it. While she did get hurt, she ended up winning that fight. So the scar was a testament more to her skills than anything else.

"No."

"Why doesn't it bother you?"

"Because I earned this one in battle."

"Exactly. And you earned these scars too. These show your strength in carrying  _my_  children. They are a reminder of what you went through to become a mother and what you go through every day to be a good one. They're the result of you giving me three wonderful kids."

Looking down at her stomach again, Akane realized that what her husband said was true, they were in a way like battle scars. They showed her physical strength in carrying three healthy children. While her pregnancies were thankfully free from complications, they did take a toll on her physically. She remembered being completely exhausted and uncomfortable near the end of each. She suddenly felt silly for her moment of vanity. Looking back up, she gave him a beaming smile through the mirror.

His heart stopped for a moment at the sight. Her smile still made him weak in the knees and he knew it always would; even when she was eighty and her smile was toothless.

When he could think again, he turned her around and put his hands on her shoulders. He leaned down to give her a peck on the lips before moving to kiss her neck. She arched her head to the side to give him better access and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his lips on her as his ministrations sent tingles up and down her spine.

"You know, all this talk about kids and you standing there looking all sexy has given me a wonderful idea."

"Yeah? And what would that be?" she asked a little breathlessly.

Like she didn't know.

He slowly started moving her towards their bed as he continued kissing up and down her neck, his hands gently squeezing her hips. When they reached the bed, he lowered her onto her back and gave her a searing kiss.

When he broke the kiss, she was already breathless underneath him. He wiggled one eyebrow at her and said, "Why don't we get started on number four?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little different. Ranma centric.

Ranma Saotome watched as the blue-haired girl came down the stairs, a smile on her face and a skip in her step, clearly excited for her date.

Her _date._

He really couldn't get his mind around the concept.

 _She_ was going on a date.

He felt like he was going to be sick.

He watched as she walked into the family room for her _date_ to arrive. As much as he had heard about it the entire week - and he heard plenty as the girl could not stop gushing about it - he still couldn't accept it.

His little tomboy was going on a date.

He had unconsciously started grinding his teeth together when he felt a small hand land on his shoulder. He turned his head and looked into the face of his beautiful wife and he relaxed a little at the understanding in her eyes.

"Really, Ranma. You knew it was going to happen sooner or later. She's fifteen now. Honestly, I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner with all the boys who have asked her out," Akane said soothingly.

Her words had the opposite effect of what was intended though and he grunted his displeasure. When she was younger, he had thought it adorable that Kimiko – named after her maternal grandmother - looked like a miniature of her mother. They were so similar with their love for martial arts and fiery tempers that he couldn't helped but be wrapped around her little finger, just like he was with his wife.

But to his chagrin, she grew up to look _exactly_ like her mother. Which meant that, while Kimiko was not literally fighting them off like Akane had, she was in no short supply of admirers.

He hated it.

"Come in and sit down," his wife suggested.

He sighed and nodded before following her into the family room. Sitting on one side at the table was Kimiko, her older brothers sitting on either side of her. He was glad that they seemed as unhappy about the development as he was; his eldest had even come home from college just to check the _date_ out. Both boys looked up and gave him a short nod before turning their attention back to the television. 

A moment later they heard the doorbell ring and Kimiko jumped up excitedly and ran to the door, smoothing her dress down as she went. He heard some muttered conversation before she came back with a gangly boy following after her.

"Daddy, Mom, this is Tenaka, Kenji."

The boy gave a polite bow to both parents and said, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Saotome, Mrs. Saotome." He then stood there, looking completely petrified.

 _Good,_ Ranma thought smugly as he stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, his legs spread, expression hard and intimidating, and his battle aura glowing. It probably didn't help Kenji's nerves that both his sons were standing at his sides in identical positions, like sentinels.

"It's nice to meet you, too. Now, you two have fun at the movies," Akane said smoothly, trying to rush the pair off before the male Saotomes embarrassed Kimiko. As they turned to leave, Akane said in a stern voice that brokered no argument, "Curfew is at 10."

Kenji nodded so quickly that Akane thought he looked a little like a bobble head.

"Of course, Mom," Kimiko said with a smile. Everyone knew that Akane’s word was law.

When Akane heard the front door close she turned on the three males and shook her head in amusement. The two boys were so like their father, it was almost eerie. They were all even the same height! She was sure if they got splashed by instant nyannichuan they would also turn into busty, petite redheads. And they had definitely inherited his protective streak. She stepped up to Ranma and patted him on his forearm.

"Don't worry so much, you know perfectly well that she can take care of herself."

Ranma sighed, knowing there was truth in that statement. If there was one thing all his children had in common, it was that all excelled at Martial Arts. _Which wasn't surprising when I'm their father_ , Ranma thought proudly. _I guess Akane played her part too_ , he thought teasingly. He still loved to tease her whenever he got the chance, even if it was only mentally.

She then raised one eyebrow and gave him a hard look and said, "Don't forget what we talked about."

He smiled in what he thought was a winning way and said, "Yes, dear."

Akane gave him a suspicious look. When he only continued to smile at her, she shook her head again and walked away.

Ranma watched as Akane headed to the kitchen before he turned to his sons.

"Boys...," he began with a firm tone before he was interrupted.

"Follow her?"

"We're on it."

He watched as they both gave him another firm nod before they raced out the engawa doors.

Ranma had a moment of parental pride at their actions before he sat down at the table a little less worried than he was a moment ago. He would only fully relax when Kimiko had returned from her date.

Akane had made him promise that he was not to interfere in Kimiko's date and that he was definitely not allowed to follow her. But she never said anything about their sons, so he felt no guilt sending them on their mission. While he did trust his daughter, he did not trust that boy, or any boy for that matter. He more than anyone knew what kind of trouble teenagers could get into. Besides, he could never be too careful when it came to his little girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to alwaysZutarian for her beta help and suggestions! 
> 
> This was inspired by Em Dixon’s Adventures in Fatherhood where she explores Zuko’s role as a father. If you like Zutara, check out both authors.


	9. Protective Too

The pig-tail boy hated shopping. It was just sooo boring. He could have been in the dojo practicing the new kata he learned but noooo, he was stuck watching over the blue-haired woman while she picked out spinach.

_Yuck!_

He like his mother's cooking, it was tasty and she would sometimes come up with the most interesting combinations that made daddy laugh. It wasn't as good as Aunty Kasumi or Grandma's but even they couldn't make spinach taste good.

He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, resigned to his fate. He had no choice but to come along. His father had told him that it was his responsibility to look after her when he couldn't. It made him feel important that his father trusted him. 

Little ten year old Ichigo Saotome straightened up and looked around him, checking for danger. He didn't see anything that suspicious but he kept alert, just in case.

He looked to his right and quickly grabbed his brother's hand, as it was also his job to look after his little brother, and Renji seemed like he wanted to chase after the stray cat that was peeking out from around the building.

Ichigo laughed when he imagined his father seeing the cat instead. His fearless father always hid behind his mother when he saw a cat. It was hilarious. Ichigo and Renji were fine with cats because mom and dad never let Grandpop Genma train any of them without watching over him.

Ichigo sighed again. It was tough being the oldest. He glanced inside the stroller and noticed his sister had fallen asleep, a line of drool trailing down her chin. He made a face.

_Gross!_

Suddenly, he heard the grocer laugh loudly and he saw his mother smiling politely back. He narrowed his little blue eyes and walked to stand next to her, dragging Renji in tow.

He glared at the pot-bellied man.

"Well, hello there, Ichigo, Renji!" the grocer said, greeting the two boys.

"Hello!" Renji replied brightly.

"Hi," Ichigo said stonily.

"Look what I have here!" The man pulled out two lollipops and offered them to the brothers.

"Thank you!" Renji exclaimed as he snatched the candy quickly from the man. He had a bright smile on his face as he stuffed the candy into his pockets, knowing he wouldn't be allowed to have the treat until after dinner.

Ichigo just turned his nose up at the offer and looked away. He caught his mother's eye a moment later and muttered, "No, thank you." 

He promptly went back to glaring at the man, causing him to clear his throat and finish bagging his mother's vegetables. 

"Thank you, Mr. Yamato. Have a nice day." His mother gave the man a small bow.

"Of course! Anything for my favorite customer. Come back anytime. Anytime!" he said excitedly as he rubbed the back of his head while he bowed up and down excitedly.

She gave him another small smile before she took the stroller and left the store.

As he moved to follow her, Ichigo grabbed Renji's hand before giving the grocer one last beady-eyed look.

When they got home, his father greeted them at the door and helped to bring in the bags. Ichigo sat at the table with a glass of milk as his parents talked.

"How did it go, 'kane? You run into any trouble? Did the boys behave?"

His mother rolled her eyes and shook her head at his father.

"Ranma, you worry too much. Everything's fine. They looked a little bored but didn't break anything, so that's always good. Renji looked much happier after Mr. Yamato gave him some candy. Ichigo didn't want any though." She paused and looked thoughtful, "You know, I don't think Ichigo likes him much, he's always so quiet when we go in there." She paused again and chuckled before adding, "If I didn't know better I would swear that he was glaring at the man. I just don't understand why, Mr. Yamato is always so nice when we go in there."

"Hmmm," Ranma replied noncommittally. "Well, I'm sure it's nothing. Why don't you go take Kimiko to her room?"

When Akane left the kitchen and Renji followed her to go to his room, Ranma grabbed a cookie from the cupboard, put it on a plate, and placed it down in front of his eldest son before he rubbed the top of Ichigo's head affectionately.

"Good job, son. I never liked the way that guy looks at your ma."

Ichigo smiled around a mouthful of chocolate chip cookie, crumbs already stuck to his face. He had no idea what his dad was talking about but he knew it meant his dad didn't trust that man. So neither did he.

It didn't bother him that he didn't get any candy because he knew his father would give him a treat if he did a good job. Like dad always said, Saotome men looked after their women.


	10. The Birds and the Bees

Akane knew it was time to give her daughter _The Talk_ when she got her first period.

It was not something she was looking forward to.

Thankfully, Kimiko had two older brothers (who both went through a phase where they loved to run around naked) so she at least knew the difference between boys and girls. That was one hurdle down.

Kimiko was now 13, and the last of her friends to get her period. She was excited she had finally become a woman but less so when she realized that getting her period would force her to have the most embarrassing conversation _ever_ with her mother.

After what seemed like an eternity her mother sighed and asked, “So…do you have any questions?”

Young Kimiko fiddled with the edge of her skirt nervously. She had so many, many questions and her desire to learn more was fighting with her desire to end the conversation quickly.

“Well…I heard that it…hurts for girls…is that true?” she asked quietly, not looking her mother in the eye.

“Yes, the first time will hurt but it doesn’t last long.”

“Does it hurt for boys too?”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“That’s unfair.”

Akane laughed at that. “It is, isn’t it?”

“So, if it hurts why do it?”

Now it was Akane’s turn to squirm.

“Well, like I said, it only hurts for a little while, then…then it feels…good.” Oh, how she wished she could find a hole to crawl into. She took a deep breath and continued, “If you find the right guy, sex can be very enjoyable…

“I’m not going to tell you that you should wait for marriage,” _‘although I wish you would’_ she added mentally. “But I will say that sex is something that…that should be shared with someone you care for.” Akane smiled as she thought of her first time and how awkward and wonderful it was because of whom she shared it with. “So I hope that you wait for someone who is good to you, who won’t push you into something you aren’t ready for, and someone who puts your needs before his.”

Kimiko smiled at her mother. She was a little confused about the last bit but understood her mother just wanted the best for her.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Ranma knew it was time to give his sons _The Talk_ because his wife told him to.

Ichigo and Renji sat opposite their father, their faces turning red when they realized exactly why their father wanted to talk to them. When he first asked to speak to them alone, they had been scared that he had discovered the hole in the wall caused from one of their “spars”, which they hid with a poster. As their father started his speech, they hung their heads in embarrassment, now wishing their father had discovered the hole because that punishment would have been more merciful than this.

If Ranma had it his way, he would have handed his sons some condoms and been done with it. Lord knew it was more than his pop ever did for him, Genma had only ever taught him how to fight. But if he tried, he knew Akane would have seriously maimed him. And he had to admit that at 13 and 11, the boys would just be more confused than anything else. So he found himself in the most awkward conversation ever. Which for Ranma, was saying something.

After what felt like an eternity, he sighed, relieved that he was done.

“So…you guys got any questions?” _Please say no, please say no._ He watched as both boys shook their heads, avoiding eye contact. He sighed, relieved.

He was about to leave when suddenly he remembered Kodachi trying to kiss him on the roof, Ukyo offering to share a bed with him, and a naked Shampoo showing up during his bath, and knew he had to give them more than just the basics.

He rubbed the back of his neck and said, “Boys, your friends are gonna tell you that it’s cool to have sex with as many girls as you can. And there’s gonna be temptation… _lots_ of temptation when you’re older. I won’t be able ta stop you from doing what you want.” He of all people knew what teenagers could get into without their parents knowledge. “But I want you to be respectful of women. They got feelings and you gotta be careful with them.”

He sighed when he saw the confused look on their faces. “You have a sister. Would you be happy if some guy hurt her?”

They both narrowed their eyes and shook their heads, bringing a smile to his face. His boys were always protective of their sister.

“Well then, think of the way you want her to be treated by a guy and treat girls the same way.”

They nodded their heads seriously, no doubt still confused. He knew it was probably best to stop but he wanted to give them one last piece of advice.

 “Just try to wait until you find the right girl before having sex. I promise you, you won’t regret waiting.”

“How do you know who the right girl is?” Renji asked curiously.

 Ranma grinned as he remembered Akane smiling at him for the first time. How his heart sped up, his hands became clammy, and he suddenly couldn’t speak. He shrugged his shoulders.

“You just know.”


	11. Instinct

He watched her from a distance.

The way she held her book bag clasped in front of her with two hands. The way she threw her head back slightly as she laughed with her friends. The way she waved to them with just a wiggle of her fingers as she left for home.

He loved watching her.

He'd been watching her since the day he met her.

And every time he did, he noticed something new.

The way she tucked her short blue hair behind her ears when she was lost in thought.

The way she hummed when she was happy.

The way she would worry her bottom lip when she was nervous.

But lately the need to watch her, watch over her, was all-consuming.

It started when they came back from Jusendo. The worry and the agitation if he didn't see her for hours. He thought it was residual worry over her well-being. The need to know where she was. That she was safe.

It slowly got worse. Until an hour without seeing her became something like agony. Now, he couldn't go ten minutes before he had to see her.

He tried to push the feeling away but the thought stayed in the back of his mind. It clawed at him until he was unable to focus on anything else.

So he gave into the instinct and went to look for her. Somehow always able to find her, regardless of where she was. He didn't have to think. He just let his body take over.

It was instinctual.

To hunt and stalk.

To find his prey.

He sniffed the air, and caught a tantalizing waft of a familiar, intoxicating scent that smelled like home. A slightly floral aroma that was uniquely hers, combined with a slightly musky scent that drove him crazy. It called to him.

_Find me._

And when he finally found her, finally saw her, the pounding in his chest calmed into a steady staccato. He let out a low rumbling purr of contentment.

He stood in the shadows of a tree, watching her. Gripping the trunk with his hands. Afraid to approach her.

He didn't know how he would act when this need took over him. All he wanted to do was to go over there and gather her in his arms. Kiss her senseless. Lower her to the ground...

He felt the overwhelming need to claim her. To make her his.

No matter what.

He shook his head breaking himself out of his trance. Disgusted with himself at what he just wanted to do.

To force himself on her? He felt ill.

There was something wrong with him. He knew it was slowly getting worse but he tried to ignore it. But this was too much. These impulses were getting out of control. He just didn't know how to stop it.

He needed time to calm himself down. He slowly let go of the tree trunk, his hands shaky and unsteady. He turned away from her. Away from his greatest temptation.

He didn't notice the claw marks in the tree where his hands had been. He didn't feel how his incisors had elongated. He didn't realize that his pupils had turned into slits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’ve been reading a lot of Fairy Tail fics and a lot of them center around Natsu’s dragon senses and what happens when he finally realizes his feelings for Lucy (NaLu shipper all the way!). Then I thought, what would happen if his cat persona was sick of waiting for him to make a move and wanted his mate? In this the Neko-ken isn’t triggered by exposure to cats, it just slowly starts possessing him. Random idea that I thought about turning into a short multi-story chapter but then I thought Ranma in Neko has been done to death. So this is what you get. For now, anyways.


	12. Family Matters

Ranma and Akane Saotome walked towards the Tendo dojo hand in hand, each carrying a gift bag for their respective fathers. The blue-haired woman was excited as their entire family was gathering to celebrate Father’s Day. Now that the “children” were all grown and living their own lives, it was a rare event to have everyone under one roof.

Plus she got to dote on her nephew, who was six months old. She couldn’t wait to bounce him on her knee, cuddle him, tickle his little feet, blow raspberries on his little stomach…

“You’re getting that dazed look in your eye again, ‘kane. What’re you thinking about? Little Hiro, again?” Ranma asked referring to Kasumi’s son.

His wife blushed, embarrassed at being caught daydreaming.

“I just can’t help it, he’s just so sweet. I'm just excited to see him, is all.”

They had been married a few years now, and despite their parents pushing for an heir to the Anything Goes Martial Arts School, the couple had decided to wait to have children. They decided they needed to get used to married life first. Now living alone in the rebuilt Saotome home, the pair took advantage of the increased privacy to get to know each other better in _every_ way, as often as possible. They were both young, healthy, and very attracted to each other, after all.

Things had changed though. They had begun putting all the practice to use and were actively trying to get pregnant, a fact that they kept secret from their family. The pig-tailed man smiled and squeezed his wife's hand, giving her a small reassuring smile.

"We'll have one of our own soon, don't worry."

Akane gave him one of those wide happy smiles that lit up her face and took his breath away.

A few minutes later they were entering the Tendo home and being greeted by Soun, Genma, Nodoka, Nabiki, Tofu, and Kasumi with little Hiro. It took a while for everyone to settle down for dinner as everyone was excitedly hugging each other. Dinner itself was a loud, cheerful event with people talking animatedly to each other, over each other, and sometimes carrying on two conversations at once. Hiro, despite having fallen asleep half way through dinner, kept being passed around the table and had not been put down once.

After dinner, Nodoka brought out a homemade cake. It was white, decorated with a blue border and on the middle of the cake she had written, _Happy Father's Day!_ with Soun, Genma, and Tofu's names added sporadically. The women counted to three and shouted, "Happy Father's Day!" in unison. The Saotome matriarch cut generous slices. Nabiki was the first to pull out a gift and hand it to her father.

Soun smiled fondly at her and reached into the gift bag, pulling out a nice ball point pen and new leather bound ledger.

"Thank you, Nabiki, these will come in handy."

"You're welcome, Daddy."

Kasumi went next, handing a large bag to Tofu and a small box to her father.

Soun pulled apart the wrapping to reveal brand new house slippers in brown to match his favorite gi. He immediately stood up and put them on his feet, bouncing up and down on them before taking a few strides down the length of the living room.

"These are wonderful and so soft too!"

"I'm glad you like them, Father, your old pair were just so worn."

Tofu then opened his gift, pulling out what looked like a backpack but turned out to be a baby carrier.

"Now that Hiro is getting so big, the baby carrier won't fit him anymore. He can sit up high in this and see everything and I know how much you like taking him for walks," Kasumi explained.

"It's perfect. Thank you."

The eldest Tendo daughter leaned over and kissed her husband on his cheek, causing his eye glasses to fog over. Nabiki rolled her eyes at her brother-in-law’s reaction. Even after all this time, he was still so smitten with his bride.

Akane reached into a large bag she had placed next to her, pulling out two identical bags. She handed one to her father and the other to Genma, who grabbed it greedily having felt left out of the festivities. He reached into it and pulled out a small red sparring helmet, clearly meant for a child. He looked at it in confusion until he saw that Soun had pulled out a child size pair of sparring gloves and foot pads in the same color.

"Well, aren't those adorable," Nodoka said wistfully. She was as eager as her husband and his best friend for their children to have children of their own. Not because she wanted an heir to the Anything Goes School, but because she wanted a grandchild to dote on and spoil. "Once Hiro is big enough, you two can help him with his training!"

"I can't wait. I'm going to start training him as soon as he learns to walk!" Soun exclaimed excitedly. “Thank you, Akane!”

Kasumi smiled at her father's enthusiasm.

"I'll help, Tendo! Don’t worry, we’ll get him nice and strong! Just look at how well Ranma turned out!" Genma added.

Kasumi paled as visions of Genma training her son flashed through her mind. Tofu rubbed her back, and kissed her on the head reassuringly. There was no way he would let that man train his son unsupervised.

Missing the byplay, Genma continued, "Now boy, if you two would get started on a family of your own, we can use these to train the heir of the Anything Goes School."

Ranma bristled at that. They had decided to keep the fact that they started trying to themselves because he didn’t wanting to be pressured by their parents. The last thing he wanted was for Akane to be hounded by their fathers. He was just about to yell at Genma to shut his mouth when he heard his wife speak.

"Well, actually..."

She reached into the bag and pulled out a white piece of cloth, unfolding it to reveal the tiny-tiniest gi top Ranma had ever seen in his life. The pig-tailed man stared at it and then looked up to see his wife's beaming face.

"I'm pregnant!" she exclaimed excitedly.

The room erupted in noise. Nodoka squealed in delight and came around to embrace her daughter-in-law. Soun and Genma jumped up and started dancing around as they waved their ever faithful victory flags and threw confetti in the air, a Japanese flag suddenly appearing behind them. Tofu and Kasumi congratulated her on her pregnancy a little less loudly. Nabiki though simply said congratulations, figuring out her younger sister’s condition as soon as she saw the gifts to Soun and Genma. The middle Tendo sister eyed her brother-in-law with one raised eyebrow.

He had yet to move and was still staring at his wife, his jaw now agape.

Truth be told, Akane was a little concerned about how Ranma would take the news. They had agreed to start a family but neither of them thought that it would happen so quickly! They had only been trying for two months and she didn’t know if her husband was used to the idea yet. She bit her bottom lip in apprehension as Ranma just continued to stare at her.

Nabiki sighed and shook her head before taking a glass of water and splashing him in the face with it, instantly triggering his curse and shaking him out of his daze.

"Congrats, you're going to be a daddy," she said dryly.

He looked at his wife, "You-you're pregnant?"

Akane nodded her head slowly and handed him the little gi.

“Surprise,” she said nervously.

"You're pregnant," he said looking down at the tiny piece of clothing. "You're pregnant!" he screamed as he looked back to his wife. He grabbed her into a tight hug but released her suddenly and pushed her gently away from him. "Did I hurt the baby?"

The blue-haired woman giggled and shook her head, now feeling elated that he was so happy with the news. "No, silly."

Ranma stood up and started jumping for joy. "I'm going to be a Father!" he screamed in excitement as his large breasts bounced up and down. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: This is dedicated to my husband (who will probably never read this) and all the other wonderful fathers out there. A lot of attention gets paid to mothers but fathers are such a big part of their children’s lives that I thought they deserved some love too!

Happy Father’s Day everyone!

Thanks **alwaysZutarian** for being betaing this and just being an awesome person in general!


	13. Apathy

Ranma Saotome froze. A shiver ran through him as he broke out in a cold sweat. His hands began to tremble in fear. His flight or fight response kicked in, yelling at him to - for once - flee.

Run far. Run fast. Run now!

But he couldn’t move as he looked upon one of the most terrifying scenes he had ever witnessed:

His fiancée in the kitchen.

Akane hummed as she opened the oven, a smile on her face. Her eyebrows furrowed as she realized the edges of her cookies were slightly brown. She put the tray on the counter and closed the oven before she reached up for a plate. Out of the corner of her eye she spied something red and black. She turned to see her fiancé standing in the doorway with a terrified look on his face.  

Her smile faltered momentarily. It hurt that he had never wanted to try her cooking, always assuming it was bad. It always hurt her. Especially as she tried so hard for him. As it always did, that hurt quickly turned into anger. She had the urge to yell at him, to hit him for being such an idiot. Why couldn’t he just _try_ her food? But the anger left as suddenly as it came. She schooled her face back into a smile.

“Hi, Ranma,” she said quickly before she began to plate her cookies. So distracted by her feelings she picked one up with her fingers, burning the tips slightly as she forgot she needed to let them cool more.

“H-hi, ‘kane,” he replied, his voice not quite steady. He didn’t squeak. Really.

Not bothering to look up, the youngest Tendo examined her cookie, breaking it in half. While the edges had burnt a little, the center seemed to be undercooked and gooey. Did she make the cookies too large so they couldn’t cook evenly? Or did she set the oven temperature too high? She looked over at the oven, the digits showing 450 degrees. No that seemed right.

“I’m not hungry, so…so…yeah…I’m just going to grab some water…” Ranma stuttered.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t make these for you,” Akane said without looking at him. It was only a small lie; she only made them with him in mind.

 “...they aren’t?” Ranma asked in surprise before his mind began to whirl. If they weren’t for him, who the hell were they for?

_Ryoga?_

_Kuno? No, not that idiot._

_Maybe they still taste good,_ Akane thought, now completely absorbed with the state of her baked goods. She took a bite and winced before sighing again. Garlic and sesame had seemed like such a good idea.

“Who’re they for then?” the pig-tailed boy demanded hotly, suddenly angry.

The blue-haired girl sighed sadly as she dropped the cookie in her hand back onto the tray. She picked it up and walked over to the trash can and threw the entire batch into the trash and placed the tray in the sink.

“No one,” she said with a twinge of sadness in her voice before walking out of the kitchen.

Confused, Ranma stood and scratched his head, wondering what just happened. Akane alwayswanted him to try her cooking. _Always_. He hated it because it was _always_ horrible.

So he should have been glad she didn’t force him to this time.

Yup, he was glad. It was a good thing that he wouldn’t have to force down any of her food, and he used the term loosely.

A really good thing.

It didn’t bother him at all that she didn’t care about his opinion.

Nope, it didn’t bother him one bit.

Curiously, he walked over to the trash bin and looked down at the cookies. They really didn’t look _that_ bad.

He would have tried it, if she asked him properly…

What was he thinking? This was a good thing, he reminded himself.

He ignored the tight feeling in his chest.


	14. Apathy 2

**Apathy 2**

"Ran-chan!"

The pig-tailed boy turned around to see Ukyo waving him over to her desk. It was the end of the day and the only reason he hadn't already left the class via the window was because he had fallen asleep. Again. The bell had woken him up but luckily Miss Hinako had fallen into her own sugar laden coma after stealing and eating several boxes of Pocky sticks from her students. He nodded his head before walking over to her.

"Yo," Ranma said casually.

Ukyo flinched inwardly. Ranma had been uncharacteristically cold to her since the wedding fiasco a few weeks ago. The chef gave him her best smile, knowing he liked it when she was being cute. She also knew that the best way to to earn his forgiveness was definitely through his stomach. Her superior cooking was an advantage she had over his uncute fiancée, one that she was sure to use whenever possible.

"Why don't you come over for some okonomiyaki?"

"I don't really got any money right now," he said evasively.

"Don't be silly, it's my treat sugar."

Just thinking of one of her delicious okonomiyaki had his mouth water and his stomach grumbled loudly. He hadn't eaten since lunch and dinner was still a few hours away, so he could definitely do with a snack. Five or six okonomiyakis would totally hit the spot. His stomach growled loudly again. Maybe seven. He was a growing boy, after all.

"That sounds great. Thanks, Ucchan!" he said, momentarily forgetting any reservations he had due to hunger.

He gave her a grateful smile that had her blushing. She smiled at his renewed use of her nickname, something she had been sorely missing. Her smile faltered when he looked over to his shoulder and called out to his other fiancée who was still in conversation with her two friends.

"'Kane!"

The blue-haired girl turned at the call of her name, recognizing her fiancé's voice instantly. She turned around briefly to motion to her friends to give her a second before she walked over to Ranma and Ukyo.

"Hi, Ukyo," she said in greeting, getting a nod in return. "What's up?" she asked turning to the pig-tailed boy.

"Ucchan's treatin' us at her restaurant. Grab your stuff so we can go. I'm starvin'!"

Behind him, the chef narrowed her eyes in frustration as she deflated a little. She hadn't said she would treat Akane, just Ranma but she knew she was stuck. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew the two rarely went anywhere without the other.

"Umm…I can't go," Akane blurted out.

After the cookie disaster yesterday and watching Ranma flinch at just the sight of her in the kitchen, she didn't think she could deal with the smug, superior look Ukyo always gave her when their shared fiancé showed enjoyment of the chef's food. She definitely couldn't take watching him wolf down Ukyo's okonomiyaki gleefully as he complimented her cooking. She just couldn't. 

"What, why not?" Ranma asked suspiciously.

He wouldn't admit it but after her second – or was it third? – kidnapping he tried to keep track of where she was going. That way if she went missing he would know where to start looking. But ever since they returned from Jusendo he  _had_ to know where she was at all times.

"I'm going with Yuka and Sayuri to get a snack," she said, thinking quickly.

She wasn't technically lying. They would go. She just had to ask them first.

"But…" the pig-tailed boy said, starting to object but was cut off.

"Oh, well have fun!" Ukyo said loudly over him, happy that she was getting alone time with her fiancé.

Akane couldn't miss the gleeful look on the chef's face and grit her teeth as the girl put her hands possessively on Ranma's arm.

"See ya," she said with a tight smile.

She went to her desk and grabbed her bag before walking back to her friends and motioned for them to follow her outside.

"See…ya," Ranma finally said disappointedly.

He was looking forward to hanging out with her. He watched her walk out the door without bothering to look back at him. He stared at the door lost in thought, completely oblivious to the chef happily chatting away next to him and the way she clung to him.

It was becoming harder to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.

* * *

 **A/N:**  Here is another little scene for the prompt Apathy. Just to be clear, apathy doesn't refer to Akane's feelings for Ranma but how he thinks she starting to feel about him.

 **alwaysZutarian**  has to be the best beta reader ever, helping me with this while recovering from a stomach flu. Thank you!


	15. Chapter 15

The blue-haired girl stared at her reflection in the mirror. Only clad in her panties, she eyed herself critically. Her hair was short, shorter than most girls she knew. Kasumi had done a wonderful job layering it so that her hair had bounce and texture. While she was initially sad that her hair had been cut, she had to admit it turned out for the best as short hair did look better on her.

She looked at her face next. Brown eyes, slight nose and bowed lips that were neither too large nor too small. She wasn't the prettiest girl she knew but she want exactly ugly either. Besides, it was her face, she was born like this, there wasn't much she could do if she didn't like it. Unless she wanted to spend her mornings putting on make-up like Nabiki, and well, that just wasn't her.

Her eyes traveled down her neck, past her shoulders, and focused on her breasts. She sighed softly as she turned her body left and right. She used two hands to push them up and together. Alright, maybe she wasn’t as buxom as Ranma's girl form or Shampoo but they weren't _that_ small. They were at least comparable to Ukyo and Kodachi. She let her hands drop and her breasts bounced back into place. They were at least, perky. Something, that she knew from going to public onsens, wouldn't be so when she was older.

She placed her hands on her stomach and turned sideways. Maybe she could be a little smaller there. She sucked her belly. She had to admit, it would make her look more feminine. She relaxed and let out her breath. She was by no means fat. She ran her hand down the front of her stomach, it was flat and toned. She shook her head and sighed, suddenly exasperated with herself.

_Akane Tendo, you are being ridiculous!_ she thought to herself. 

When did she get so self-conscious about her looks? When did it start to matter what Ran…boys thought of her?

She felt shallow and _insecure_. Which only made her angry at herself,

So what if Ran...some people didn't like how she looked! So what if she wasn’t as sweet as Kasumi? Or as smart as Nabiki? Or as sexy as Shampoo? Or as good a cook as Ukyo? Or as….she couldn’t think of anything for Kodachi.

Akane giggled to herself.

Okay, so she shouldn’t have brought the delusional Kuno sibling into this. In fact, she shouldn’t have brought any of the other girls into this. This wasn’t a competition. Being the sweetest, smartest, sexiest, or best cook wasn’t gonna win Ranma’s heart.

And yes, she could admit it; she was thinking of him.

Then again, when wasn’t she?

But who could blame her, really? Somehow her entire life became entwined with his. He was truly the bravest, strongest, most egotistical man that made her want to pull her hair out. It didn’t hurt that he was so handsome, with his expressive blue eyes. The smile that warmed her heart and that smirk that was just so sexy. And then there was the almost perfect body he hid under his baggy clothes.

She shook her head, embarrassed at where her mind was going. She was beginning to wonder if she was the real pervert.

Grabbing her pajamas, she put them on quickly with her back turned towards the mirror so she wouldn’t start focusing on any more of her 'problem' areas - thick thighs came to mind.  Once she was dressed, she glanced at herself in the mirror one last time. Maybe she wasn’t satisfied about every part of her body, but she liked what she saw.

She liked who she was.

That was the important thing. She wasn’t perfect, but she was working on the things she could change. Like her temper and her jealousy. It was hard work but hopefully Ranma would notice. And if he still didn't like her because she wasn't pretty enough, or skinny enough, well...that would be that.

She cleared her throat and shook off the tight feeling in her chest. 

She walked towards the bathroom door, feeling better about herself, if not a little silly. She opened it to see her bored-looking fiancé leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, and towel thrown over his shoulder.

"Oh, hi, Ranma," she said in surprise. "Umm...were you out here long?"

The pigtailed-boy eyed the blue-haired girl. She was wearing the pajamas he liked so much, her yellow ones with spiral print. But it was her face that drew his attention. Her big brown eyes, her smooth milky skin, her cheeks with a healthy – and very attractive – pink glow, and those pink lips giving him a small smile.

She was just so damn cute.

Not that he could admit it for fear of an insta-wedding.

"What were ya doing in there that took you so long?"

The thought of him standing outside the entire time while she was in there practically naked while thinking of...him made her face turn burn with embarrassment.

"Umm...nothing...the usual...," she stammered. “Sorry you had to wait so long.”

He had really only been waiting for a few minutes but he wanted to take the chance to talk to her. They really hadn’t spent any time together since she decided not to go to Ucchan’s with him. He had enjoyed his okonomiyaki - what wasn't there to like about good, free food? - and had enjoyed chatting with Ukyo. But the chef had a tendency to start insinuating things about the two of them going out on more intimate dates and dropping big hints on how she would be such a good wife to him, when Akane wasn’t there. He just pretended to not understand what she was implying.

It wasn’t the same without the blue-haired girl. He had missed her and the time they normally spent together. Even if it was only a few hours.

His attention was drawn to her mouth when she licked her lips.  Then she began to worry her bottom lip - her pearly white teeth nibbling on that plump piece of flesh.

He couldn't help but imagine himself nibbling on the same lips. What would it feel like? Would she like it? Most importantly, what would she taste like?

Ranma turned his head to the side as he felt a blush coming on at those thoughts. Thoughts that were never far from his mind. And if he were honest, were coming on more and more frequently.

He shrugged, partially to tell himself that his fantasies weren't such a big deal and partially to show his indifference to his fiancée.

"Well, next time don't take so long. It's not worth it anyways cuz it's clearly not working," he said with a laugh.

He knew what he was doing by poking the bear. He just liked to tease her. It was fun to rile her up. To see that passion. To have her attention solely on him. He waited for her quick temper to flare and for the inevitable blow up to follow. But was surprised when the youngest Tendo only gave him a smile. One that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Well, it's a lucky thing you have so many other girls to choose from then, isn't it?"

She walked briskly past him, dropping her smile as she went and tried to tell herself that it didn't matter.

Ranma stared at her back, stunned. That was not the response he was expecting. In fact, she had been behaving unusually for a while now.

_What the fuck is going on?_ he thought angrily.

 

* * *

**A/N:** First, I want to say that despite how it may seem, I am not trying to insinuate all Ranma and Akane’s problems are his fault. They both have done stupid things. The one thing that is really missing in the relationship though is communication. This is just an example of how that lack of communication can result in problems.

For those of you who are waiting for an update to Blind Date, I am sorry that I have been so slow to update but I promise it hasn’t been abandoned.  

Thanks for reading!


	16. Apathy 4

Ranma sat cross legged in his room, his head propped on his fist, doing something he wasn't really known for: thinking. He was annoyed and brooding over his fiancée, who had been acting strange lately. She had not been reacting in the ways he had come to expect and he didn't know what to make of it.

He insulted her and she didn't hit him. She didn't get mad at him, only brushed it off. She acted like she didn't care about what he said. Did that mean…mean that she didn't care about him? He gulped hard. The idea had his heart throbbing, his mind blank. He didn't know what he would do if she had stopped caring about him. He sat for a while longer, feeling more and more confused.

So he did what he always did when he had a problem, he went to work out.

He paused at the dojo doors when he realized it was already in use. The girl occupying his thoughts was in the center of the room working through a kata. A flurry of movement and energy, so happy in her element. Her gi slightly askew, her face scrunched in concentration, sweat covering her brow. When he thought of her, it was often like this.

She looked beautiful. So strong and confident.

There was a slightly, barely noticeable pause in her movement that told him she had sensed his presence. He moved towards a corner of the dojo to begin stretching, his eyes never leaving her.

She had good form, and he knew from experience that she was strong as an ox. She was a decent martial artist, not as good as him, but who was? Just a few weeks ago, she had escaped a prison, defeating two of Saffron's guards in the process. She was also stubborn and prideful. He smirked when he thought of a way to finally get the attention he had been missing.

"So, you gonna be hitting the air all night, or you want a real challenge?" he asked her when she was finished.

Akane looked over to see him leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, so cocky and full of himself. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Lord help her but she found him so attractive even with – and sometimes because of – all that arrogance. She ignored the little ball of lust in her belly and schooled her face.

"Is there something you wanted, Ranma?" she asked, her tone deceptively bored.

"Nothin' really. Just seeing if you wanted to spar with me."

Her eyebrows winged up in surprise. "You _want_ to spar with me?" she asked suspiciously. He _never_ wanted to spar with her, he always had to be pushed into it. She remained wary but couldn't help the bubble of excitement growing inside her.

"Sure? Why not? It won't be much of a challenge, but I've got nothing better to do."

Just like that, her bubble burst. He wasn't planning to actually spar with her. He was going to do what he always did, dodge and evade all while taunting her. She should have known. She smiled sweetly at him.

"You shouldn't have to spar with someone so inferior to you."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, it'll be better than nothing," he said with a patronizing laugh.

The pig-tailed boy noticed that her eyes narrow fractionally and her smile turned tight. Relief flooded through him as he thought, _There's my 'Kane._

"Well, nothing is what you're gonna have to deal with."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"That I don't want to spar with you."

Shocked, confused, and a little worried by her dismissal he bounced back and began to goad her into changing her mind. "Why, you scared? Don't worry, I'll take it easy on you."

"I've got some bricks to break," she said in dismissal as she walked out the door.

Ranma's mouth fell open and he could only stare at her in shock, his mind trying to process what just happened.

Akane didn't want to spar with him? The girl who was always begging him to spar, said no. She'd rather break bricks than spend time with him?

_What the FUCK?!_

* * *

**A/N:** Just one last snippet in this series. Akane declining Ranma's offer to spar would be the one thing that would be the red flag that has him seriously worried. I always meant to leave this 'story' open ended so that the reader can imagine what Ranma would or wouldn't do next. Would this finally be enough to get Ranma to do something?

For those who are wondering, yes, I am still working on **Blind Date**. I swear it'll be up soon and I have not abandoned it.

Thank you to **alwaysZutarian** for all her help!


	17. Pokémon Oh!

**A/N:** AU; nothing but Fluff

* * *

**Pokémon Oh!**

Akane Tendo stared at her phone, trying to figure out where she should head next. She had a two week break from school between semesters and was walking around her neighborhood. On her screen was her favorite new game, Pokémon Go. She stopped suddenly when she checked her sightings screen and found a Snorlax. A friggin Snorlax! It was one of the most elusive Pokémon in the game and it was the first time she had ever seen it pop up on her screen. She only had to find the damned thing. Thinking fast she decided to head to a nearby park, which was a hot spot for Pokémon. She turned right suddenly, bumping into something very solid where there should have been air. She fell backwards and landed hard on her butt, her phone slipping out of her hand.

"Ow," she said softly and looked up to see that she had ran straight into someone. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed scrambling to her feet and giving him a low bow of apology. "I wasn't watching where I was going!"

Akane's eyes widened at the look on the stranger's face. He looked so angry. And who could blame him? She always hated people who would bump into her because they were always staring at their screens. _Great! I'm turning into one of_ them _,_ she thought.

Ranma was having a pretty bad day and having some idiot run into him because she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and possibly breaking his phone was just the latest in a long list of grievances. Eyes closed, he took a steadying breath that did nothing to calm him. He was just about to tell the girl off but then he got a good look at the very cute girl with a heart shaped face. Her cheeks were red in embarrassment, her plump pink bottom lip was caught between her teeth, and the biggest brown eyes he had ever seen was looking up at him in a mix of embarrassment and fear.

He completely forgot what he was going to say.

"Ummm…" the pig-tailed boy said dumbly. "It's…it's fine! It was my fault I wasn't watching what I was doing." It wasn't a complete lie, he had been rather self-absorbed. Then he rubbed the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.

Akane relaxed, glad to see him smiling and that he wasn't completely pissed off. Her cheeks turned redder for a completely different reason when she got a good look at his biceps flexing when he brought his arm up. The day suddenly felt very hot. Embarassed at her goggling, she shifted her focus to his face and her jaw dropped open slightly. He was a head taller than her, had a strong jawline, wide smile and the most mesmerizing blue eyes she had ever seen.

"I'm…I…uh…I really am sorry," she stuttered.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"It _was_ all my fault…"

She stopped as the stranger bent down to pick up his phone, and noticing that hers was lying next to it, picked it up too. Akane grimaced when she realized he would see what app she was using. _He's going to think I'm a total nerd._

"I was…kinda distracted with…" she continued

"Hey! You play Pokémon Go, too?" he asked with a smile as he handed her phone back.

"You play?" she asked. She tilted her head to the side and smiled.

He could only stare at her, his brain fritzing, and his heart thumping wildly in his chest. She had the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. Luckily, he was saved from trying to think of a response as she continued on excitedly.

"I was distracted because I saw a Snorlax nearby and I was just going to look for him." She held up her phone to show him.

"Really?" he asked his eyebrow raised. It was one of the few things that could distract him from the girl in front of him. He checked his phone and saw that she was right.

"Yes, I think he might be at the shopping plaza over there." She pointed behind him.

"No, I just came from there and it wasn't on my screen."

"Oh. Hmm. Then maybe it's at the park down the street." She had a moment of indecision before she blurted out quickly. "Wanna come look for it with me?"

"Sure!" There was no question that he would join her. First, it was a fucking Snorlax! He would have went looking for it anyways. But really, he had the fleeting thought that he would follow her anywhere.

The two started walking down the street side by side, both feeling a little awkward.

"So, do you live around here?" Ranma finally asked.

"Yes, just a few blocks away. How about you? I don't think I've seen you around before." And she would have _definitely_ noticed him.

"Yeah. We just moved here yesterday," he said with more anger than he intended, the frustrations he had been feeling coming back. It was so unfair that he had to move and spend his two weeks between semesters unpacking and helping his mom with the new house. "We're a few blocks that way," he pointed to his right, "or is it that way…" he added pointing to his left.

"Oh! Well welcome to the neighborhood!" Akane said a little more brightly than she normally would have; it was obvious that he wasn't happy about the move.

"Thanks."

"Where are you going to go to school?"

"Ummm…F…Fur…" he tried but couldn't quite remember the name of the school.

"Furinkan?" she offered helpfully.

"Yeah, that's the one. You know it?"

"I sure do! I go there."

"How is it? It sucks having to start in the middle of the year."

"Ummm."

Weird was what she wanted to say but she didn't want to discourage him before his first day, especially since he seemed like he was already so unhappy with the move. What could she say? Their principal was intense and a little crazy. She swore that her home room teacher was bipolar, acting like a child one minute and a strict disciplinarian the next. The boys were way too persistent and couldn't take no for an answer but that wouldn't be a problem for him. She finally settled on the one positive thing she could think of.

"We have really good sports programs."

She had unknowingly found the one thing that would make him happy. He was a much better athlete than student.

"That's good to know. I'm a first year. How about you?"

"I'm in my first year, too! Maybe you will be in my class, at least then you'll have a friend on your first day."

The blue-haired girl smiled then realized what she said. They has just met! She blushed at her presumptuousness and looked fixedly at the ground, completely missing the huge grin on his face. Looking up, she noticed they had reached the park which had winding paths, a large lake, fountains, and large grassy areas. She looked at her screen and saw that the Snorlax had moved up on her list in the sightings screen.

"Looks like we are in the right place. It's a big park, so how about we spread out a bit and call out if we find it?" Akane suggested.

"Sounds like a good plan. But, I do see one small problem with it."

"What?"

"I don't know your name."

She blinked at him then realized they had never introduced themselves! _He probably thinks I'm an airhead,_ she thought to herself.

"My name is Akane, Akane Tendo," she said, giving him a bow

"Ranma Saotome," he said bowing in return.

"I'll go this way," she said moving to her right.

He nodded and went left. They both walked around never going too far from each other. Akane was beginning to worry they would never find the elusive Pokémon when she heard her name called. She looked over to see Ranma waving at her and ran towards him as fast as she could.

 _Wow, she's fast,_ Ranma thought as he saw the girl barreling towards him. He had pressed on the Pokémon before calling out to her and when he looked back up she was already standing in front of him. He caught the Snorlax easily and then watched as she threw great ball after great ball at the Pokémon, always missing her mark.

"Um, you want me to help you?"

"No, I can do it!" she snapped.

She really was bad at throwing the poke balls. She was always misjudging the distance, either throwing too hard or too soft. And she _swore_ the ball was curving on her even though she was throwing as straight as possible. Finally, she hit the Snorlax and crossed her fingers, hoping he wouldn't escape and run away. The ball vibrated, once, twice, and on the last vibration, the ball stilled, stars popped up on her screen and she jumped up and down in excitement. She surprised them both by hugging him. She jumped back quickly when she realized what she was doing.

"Umm…thanks and umm…sorry," she said looking at the ground again, her face bright red. _Why do I keep embarrassing myself around this guy?_ she thought, mentally abusing herself.

"You're welcome."

Ranma had not minded the hug one bit. Which surprised him since he had never liked it when girls were forward with him. They stood there awkwardly, wanting to spend more time with each other but neither brave enough to say anything more. It was Akane that finally broke the silence.

"Well, I guess I better get going."

"Oh. Yeah. I'll see you in school." It hit him then that he wouldn't see her for almost two weeks. Two weeks spent unpacking and cleaning. Two weeks stuck with now one to talk to but his parents. Two weeks without seeing that smile. He screwed up his courage and blurted out, "Unless you want to show me around?" At the surprised look on her face, he added quickly, "I don't really know the area. Maybe you can show me where the good places to hunt Pokémon are and where I can get some decent grub?"

Akane tried not to smile too broadly at the suggestion. "Sure. I can do that."

They spent the rest of the afternoon together walking around Nerima, Akane showing him the best places to find Pokémon and some of her favorite places to eat. They ended up stopping at a Starbucks when their batteries were almost dead to charge their phones and staying way longer than they had planned as they got caught up in conversation. They told each other about their families, talked in length about their shared love of martial arts, discussed their hobbies, and sports. She found it surprisingly easy to talk to him and he was glad she seemed so down to earth. It was dark by the time they decided it was time to call it a night. He insisted on walking her home and as they reached her house he looked at his phone, surprised at what he found.

"Your house is a gym?"

He looked at his phone again, reading the description that read, _Tendo Dojo_ and had a plaque. Sure enough, he looked up and saw the same sign as in the picture hanging above the gate. He looked around, his lips quirked in amusement when he saw another sign that read, _To beat owner in savage combat, use rear door._

"Not the house exactly but the dojo behind the house. It's been in our family for generations."

"That's pretty cool." And it explained her love for martial arts. "Thanks for showing me around today."

"You're welcome."

"If you're not busy…maybe we can meet up again before school starts?" he asked hopefully. "We can go Pokémon hunting or maybe…have dinner...or something," he added the last part quickly to give her an out. Ranma stuck his hands in his pockets, hoping he didn't sound lame or look too eager. He had never asked a girl out before.

Akane tucked her hair behind her ear nervously. While she had been asked about plenty of times before, she had never actually found someone she wanted to say yes to.

"That…would be nice," she said in a soft voice. "Can I have your phone?"

He handed it to her automatically. She pulled up his text screen and typed a quick message to herself and handed his phone back. She took her phone out to double check she had received the text that read, Ranma. "Now you have my number and I have yours."

"Great! I'll…I'll text you."

"Good night, Ranma."

"'night."

He watched her enter the gate and close it behind her before looking down at his phone with a big grin. He headed home, thinking that maybe moving to Nerima wasn't such a bad thing after all.

* * *

**A/N:** This is dedicated to **Marie Allen** , who along with my son, got me totally addicted to this game. So you can blame her for this silly little bit of fluff!

As always, big thanks to **alwaysZutarian** for betaing this for me!


	18. The Gift

With a sigh and huff, Ranma dropped cross-legged to the floor and propped his chin on fist. He glared at the bundle of lights he had been struggling with for what felt like hours. Shaking his head in exasperation, he tossed the bundle aside. They - the combined Tendo and Saotome families - were setting up the Christmas decorations. After the success of last year's party, Kasumi decided she wanted to make it an annual tradition. The women - minus Nabiki who had disappeared somewhere – were cleaning and decorating the inside of the house while the men were in charge of the outside, which meant stringing lights throughout the yard, in the house, and on the dojo. His pop and Mr. Tendo were  _supposed_ to be helping him but they had snuck off to play a game of Go. He was so tempted to just throw the lights away and buy new ones but he couldn't exactly afford it. Actually, he didn't have money at all. Remembering that, he sighed long and deep.

It was Christmas and he had nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Not a single yen to his name but he didn't have a lot of people to buy for. His mother and Akane; that was the whole list.

His mother wouldn't care as long as he got her a card or something. She knew exactly what their financial situation was. To her credit, Akane wouldn't care either. She was pretty unmaterialistic and she'd be happy with anything he got her. She was really happy about that picture he gave her last year and all he did was put an old photo it in a cheap frame.

He wanted to do more for her; give her more this year. He wanted to give her everything. But he'd settle for a decent Christmas gift. After Jusendo he really wanted to tell her how he truly felt but he had always been so clumsy with words, so maybe he could give her something that would somehow show her instead.

It was too late to find a job, he'd never make enough money to get her anything good. He could sell something, if he had anything to sell. But he didn't have anything worth any money. The only things he had to his name were his clothes. He had to carry everything he owned on his back for most of his life, which didn't give him much space for knickknacks.

Although…

Ranma ran to his room and pulled out the shoe box he had shoved into the corner of the guest room closet he had been occupying since he came to Nerima. Wiping off the thin layer of dust, he sat on his futon, placing the box on his lap.

Opening it, he couldn't help but smile as he looked at his few 'treasures.' On the very top was the scarf that Akane made him for Christmas last year. Gingerly taking it out, he fingered the soft yarn. He had only worn the scarf that first day he received it. Not because it was ugly, even though it was, or that he was embarrassed to be seen in it, because he wasn't. And it wasn't because he didn't like it. The opposite was true, he loved the thing. Never had anyone spent so much time and effort for him. It was just so poorly made that he was afraid that it would unravel at the slightest snag. He wore it proudly and happily the day he got it and then tucked it away where he could keep it safe.

He put it next to him gently and pulled out the second item, a long bundle of hair still tied with the yellow ribbon placed in a Ziploc bag. He always got a pang in his chest when he looked at the hair. The shock on Akane's face when it was chopped off was still a vivid memory. While it was Ryoga who carelessly and accidently chopped off her hair, he always felt guilty that he got her so worked up that she didn't dodge the bandana and for her being near that fight in the first place. After she slapped them both silly and stormed off, he had picked up the hair but hadn't been able to throw it away.

Putting it next to the scarf, he pulled out the last item in the box. It was an old book. He had received it from the kind old woman who he used to run to when he entered the nekkoken. After she calmed him down, she would feed him. She had no children's books in her house so she pulled out the one book she had that contained a lot of pictures that turned out to be a martial arts instruction book. The old lady had told him that it was a style that her family had practiced generations ago. There was a second book that was needed to explain the moves that was handed down a different family line and had been lost for generations. Incomplete, the book was useless and the old lady, who had developed quite a fondness for Ranma, let him keep the heirloom. It kept him entertained throughout the years. First he would spend hours looking at the drawing of the forms. But it was always a comfort to him, reminding him of the sweet old woman whose name he long forgotten.

He flipped through the book and couldn't help but smile to himself. The binding was cracked and the pages yellowed. It was very old and he wondered if it was worth something. There was a rare bookstore in town he could take it to and get it appraised. It hurt to think about giving up the book but it had been a long time since he had even looked at it. He no longer needed it for comfort, he had…something…someone else for that now. He knew the little old lady would understand. Besides, he didn't need the book to remember her; he could never forget her kindness and warmth.

* * *

Akane drummed her pencil on the desk. Earlier, Kasumi and Nodoka had gently nudged her out of the dojo when they were setting up for the party and, in her enthusiasm, she had taken on decorating the tree and had gotten a little too passionate. While the tree was completely covered, and she thought it was definitely festive, it wasn't very pretty. She had a feeling that she probably should have stopped before adding the old sake bottles she'd painted, or the old toys she'd strung up with yarn, or the shoes she simply tied on with their laces (she wondered if anyone would miss them from the genkan), but she couldn't help it. But just because she was bad at something didn't mean she should just give up and stop trying. If she did, how would she ever learn?

Now, she was supposed to be doing her homework but math was the farthest thing on her mind. She was thinking about Ranma, who was on her mind a lot lately. Sometimes she was focused on what a dumb ass he was and why he had pissed her off. Others she would wonder about his true feelings for her. This time she was wondering what to get him for Christmas. She only had a week left before they were to exchange gifts at Kasumi's party.

She  _could_  make Ranma something again, but although she would never admit it, she knew she was awful at arts and crafts. And cooking. When she had given Ranma the scarf last year he said he liked it and she never saw him wearing it again.

She actually had the perfect gift in mind but she didn't quite have enough money for it. She had tried to save more but her allowance wasn't very big and she had some unexpected expenses. Like paying for a new uniform when hers was ripped during the bonsai trimming martial arts competition. Or replacing her new satchel when she lost it when she was kidnapped by Taro. Again. No matter the reason the result was the same: she needed more money.

There was one thing she could think of to get some funds and bit her lip. She couldn't believe she was even considering it but she couldn't think of anything else to do.

Hesitantly, she put down her pencil and pulled open her bottom drawer. She took out her little jewelry box, opening it up to reveal a small gold heart pendant. It was a gift from her mother, or rather something her mother had left to her. She had left all the girls something personal before her death. It wasn't very expensive, its true worth was its sentimental value. She couldn't get much money out of it if she tried to sell it to a pawn shop, which she would never even consider.

But…maybe if she could keep it in the family, with someone who would want it. Someone who would treasure it in her own way, then she could…possibly…maybe give it up. She would never have even thought she could even consider it but she really, really wanted to buy that gift for Ranma. If it made him happy, it would be worth it. She guessed it's what people meant by sacrificing for people they lo…lik…cared for.

Even in her own mind she couldn't say the "L" word.

She clutched the pendant to her heart and thought of her mom. She wouldn't have gotten mad at her for doing this, she would have understood. Her mother would have been happy that she found someone she…cared for. That thought made up her mind. Taking a deep breath, she went to see Nabiki, who had been not so subtly been asking about the pendant for years. She thought she even once found Nabiki looking through her stuff for it. She wouldn't have put it past her sister to just take it.

They had a very complicated relationship. Nabiki had manipulated and taken advantage of her for years and Akane had come out the loser in almost every single deal. But this time she had the leverage. She knew how much Nabiki wanted the pendant and she picked up a few things over the years negotiating with her sister.

* * *

The party had barely started, guests were still streaming in and Ranma had only gotten a single helping of the appetizers before he had been surrounded by his worst nightmare: Shampoo, Ukyo, and Kodachi surrounding him with expectant smiles on their faces. Not even the heaps of food they each had with them could him feel any less apprehensive. And he had been right to be nervous, as soon as he told them he didn't have any gifts for them, they had gotten mad. Now he found himself running from three angry women.

"I told ya! I ain't got nothin' for ya!"

Ranma ducked as a chui went whizzing by his head, then kicked a second chui into a brick wall.

"I ain't got nothing for you, either!"

He did a flip over the large spatula and landed on a neighboring roof. He sprinted across two more rooftops before having to change direction to avoid the gymnastics ribbon that tried to tie itself around his ankle then had to dodge into an alley to avoid gymnastic clubs.

He didn't bother wasting his breath this time. Nothing anyone ever said got through to that whack job. But he couldn't help but wonder why did he attract so many wackos that used projectile weapons?

Sighing he put on some speed, weaving his way away from Kasumi's party and through some buildings to try to lose his stalkers…err…friends?

* * *

Back in the Tendo dojo, Akane was doing some dodging herself. Mousse was currently waddling around, quacking at random girls at the party he thought was Shampoo. It seemed like his glasses didn't work for him as a duck because he was actually wearing it. She rolled her eyes. He had been punted into the pond for confusing her with Shampoo. That in itself wasn't enough to warrant the kick but the glomp he gave her afterwards did.

Akane was currently on the lookout for Ryoga. Akari was here and after making sure Katsunishiki was comfortable in the area Kasumi had created for him in the Tendo yard, she came looking for him. It seemed they kept missing each other and she had finally come to Akane for help. Akane had thought she had seen him in the crowd but he disappeared suddenly. That was ten minutes ago and she still couldn't find him. She wasn't worried though, he would show up sooner or later. Akari didn't seem worried either but that could be because she had found P-Chan, who was sitting on her lap while she was hand-feeding him. Akane smiled. Akane was glad Akari was happy but she wished Akari would spend more time with the human guests instead pigs. She was chatting away with P-Chan like he could understand her.

Akane saw Picolet out of the corner of her eye, eating a watermelon whole and decided to go the other direction, keeping an eye out for Ranma. She had seen him surrounded by Shampoo, Ukyo, and Kodachi about an hour ago. Each of them were trying to hand-feed him while giving him presents. Since he had seemed to be enjoying himself, she left him to his little harem. It seemed she was right because he had taken off with them about thirty minutes ago and she hadn't seen him since. She shook her head. She was being unfair and jea…jealous.

After Jusendo she had felt much more secure in her relationship with Ranma. Sometimes you went through something so intense with someone that it had to change things. Jusendo was it. But breaking old habits was hard.

Danger senses tingling, Akane turned to see Kuno rushing towards her. He was carrying two bouquets of roses, one in each hand, his arms thrown to his side.

"My fierce tigress! Come to me so that I can shower you with my love! It is time to declare our love to the woooorrrrlllldddd!"

Akane to kicked him through the ceiling where he left a nice Kuno-shaped hole in the roof. With a huff, she straightened out her hair and dress.

If this kept up, she could skip leg day tomorrow.

* * *

It was an hour later when the party was in full swing that a redheaded Ranma finally limped his way back inside. His clothes were torn and dirty, he was soaking wet and freezing to death. He swore there were icicles forming in his hair. And of course, he was in his female form. He peeked into the dojo to see everyone having a good time. Tofu was doing a jig with Betty, his skeleton. His glasses were foggy and he had a goofy smile on his face. The reason was clear: Kasumi was standing five feet away, giggling at his antics. Nabiki was walking around the party with her camera and he was sure there was either something very incriminating on it or some pictures she could sell. Pops, Mr. Tendo, and Happosai were getting drunk in a corner. His mother was putting out more food.

It seemed that everyone had come. He could see The Gambling King playing poker with the little girl who had given Ranma a valentine, her grandmother sitting nearby. Taro was sitting with Rogue, trying to get her to give him her magnets. Mamolin was trying to give some of the Furinkan High School girls his bell. Sentaro, his fiancée Satsuki and her monkey were enjoying some food. He had seen their horse outside in the make-shift pen with Katsunishiki. Prince Toma was also there talking to girls who were way too old for him. Thankfully Akane was nowhere near him, Ranma was sure the little jerk still had a crush on her.

Thinking of Akane, he realized he hadn't seen her in the crowd. He did another sweep of the room and couldn't find her. Brows furrowed, he tried to push down the anxiety and worry that was creeping up. It was a sensation he was all too familiar with. Ever since Jusendo, when he didn't know where she was he began to panic. He had been doing a good job controlling it but that was because he usually found her relatively quick. He closed the door intending to go after Akane but the ice cracking off his frozen shirt from the movement had him changing his mind. He'd go change – both his form and his clothes – before going to look for her.

After a quick scrub and jump into the furo to warm up, Ranma was headed out when he heard a sound back upstairs. He went up to see Akane's door cracked open and a light on in her room. Looking in he saw Akane sitting on the floor, wrapping paper and ribbon littering the floor. She had tape in hand trying to get the present wrapped but doing a very poor job of it. There was tape everywhere, overlapping itself and rolled into hard pieces she clearly couldn't unravel. What could be seen of the paper looked festive but it was crinkled, ripped, and random pieces stuck through the small amount of surface area not covered with tape. He knew he shouldn't tease her but it was too hard to resist. Plus, she was so cute when she got all worked up.

"Whadya got there, tomboy?"

Startled, Akane threw the present in the air. When it came down she fumbled it before grabbing it to her chest.

"Ranma! Wh..what are you doing here? Why aren't you at the party?"

"I just came back in to change."

"Splashed by the little old lady again?"

"Nope, the canal." She smirked and he rolled his eyes. "So, what you got there?"

"Nothing!" Akane squeaked and hid the gift behind her quickly.

Suspicious, Ranma had a quick rush of emotions: curiosity as to what she was hiding, hope that it was for him, and jealousy at the thought that it wasn't. She had wanted to get it wrapped just right before giving it to Ranma but since he had already seen it and they were alone together (miracles could happen!) she decided now was as good a time as any.

"Ummm…actually…I was planning on giving it to you later, but i-iff you wanted to open it now…"

Hesitantly, she pulled the present from behind her back and offered it to him. Embarrassed and happy, Ranma blushed. He reached for the gift but pulled back at the last minute, confusing Akane.

"Give me a second, okay?" He sped out of the room and was back almost before she could blink holding a small box. "I…" He cleared his throat. "I got something for you, too."

"Oh."

Surprised but pleased she began to blush, too. They exchanged gifts and looked at each other expectantly.

"You open yours first."

Now that she gave him the present she was excited to see him open it. She looked at him expectantly, practically bouncing in excitement. He smiled at her enthusiasm and unwrapped the present with some difficulty. Did he mention how much tape she used?

"A…book. Thanks."

His confusion and his lack of enthusiasm made Akane giggle. A book was definitely not the obvious choice of gifts for him.

"Open it, Ranma."

He picked up the book, noticing how old it was. Opening to a random page, he realized it was a martial arts book. The style of the writing and the art was very similar to the one the old lady had given him. No. It couldn't be…could it? He gave her a questioning look.

"It's the mate to your book, the one you showed me before."

He stared at her blankly before looking at the book again. The look of awe and reverence on his face her feel so warm inside. She had been right, it was worth the sacrifice.

"How did you find it?"

"Dr. Tofu helped me. I told him about it when I hurt my foot and had to stay at the clinic. He heard about the books and helped me find it."

Once Tofu had sobered up a bit from his bout of Kasumi-tis he had given her the book that had just came in that morning. She had thanked the stars that it made it in time and rushed upstairs to wrap it.

"Wow, this is amazing. Thank you."

It seemed completely inadequate. It was the most thoughtful gift he had gotten from anyone, ever. He hoped she liked her gift even half as much as he liked his.

"Open yours."

The box was small and square, wrapped simply in brown paper. She opened it to find a small cinched drawstring bag inside. Opening the bag, she emptied the contents it into her hand to find a slim but sturdy looking gold chain.

"Thanks Ranma, this is beautiful."

"You're welcome. I know you don't wear that much jewelry…"

"No, I love it really."

When she went to put it on, he stopped her.

"I actually got it so that you could wear that pendant your mom gave you. I know you're worried about losing it, but the lady at the store swore this was good for more active people like athletes, so you don't gotta worry about it breakin'".

Akane could only stare at him. She couldn't believe that he would remember the necklace, much less be considerate enough to remember she was worried about losing it.

"Why don't cha go get it and see how they look together."

Excited by the idea, Akane started to get up before she remembered that she sold it.

"Ummm. Maybe later."

Ranma couldn't help but notice the change in her expression and mood. Maybe she didn't like it after all. Or she thought it wasn't good enough for the pendant.

"Oh…okay… It's okay if you don't like it. You don't gotta say you do."

Disappointed and slightly hurt, he crossed his arms and looked to the side.

"I do! Really! It's so pretty and thoughtful…"

"Then why don't you want to wear it?"

"Well… It's just…"

"Chh..forget it."

Now angry, Ranma started to leave but was stopped when Akane put her hand on his arm. She couldn't let him leave thinking she didn't like his gift but how can she explain that she didn't have it anymore?

"Ranma, I really do like your gift. I just…I just…"

Looking down he could see the tears forming in her eyes. His eyes widened in horror and he began flapping at his sides. He could never stand it when girls cried but Akane crying? That was his kryptonite.

"I…don't have it."

"What do ya mean? Did you lose it?"

"No…I…I sold it to Nabiki because I needed the money…"

Ranma didn't have to ask her what for because her gaze fell onto his new book.

"Geez, 'kane. You didn't hafta sell it for m…this."

He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. Seriously,  _what_ else was he supposed to do?

Sniffing, Akane wiped her eyes quickly.

"It's okay. It's still in the family and I'm sure I can probably buy it back from her later." Most likely for ten times the amount she sold it for but she didn't mention that out loud. Trying to change the subject she said, "Why don't you get your book? We can see what it says when we put the two together."

It was Ranma's turn to look awkward and uncomfortable.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just don't want to right now. I'll look at it later when I'm alone."

"Oh…If you don't want me to see it…"

"What?"

"It's fine Ranma, you can keep the techniques to yourself."

Ranma had never taken her martial arts seriously and this just proved that was not going to change. Hurt, it was her turn to try to leave.

"Damn it, 'kane! It ain't like that!" he screamed in frustration.

"Then why don't you want me to see it?" she yelled back.

"I don't have the book anymore, okay?!"

"What? Why?"

"I sold it," he mumbled.

"Sold it?! What for?"

Ranma wouldn't look her in the eye but it didn't take a genius to figure it out. Not with her clutching the necklace so tightly in her hand.

"You shouldn't have done that. That book meant so much to you," she said softly.

He had so little and it made her feel guilty that he would give up something that meant so much for her.

"And how much did that pendant mean to you?"

They both sat there awkwardly. Both of them realizing just how much they sacrificed for each other and not just with the presents.

"C'mon. I'll help you put this on…if you still wanna wear it."

She smiled and handed the chain to Ranma before turning around. Carefully, he put the strand around her neck and taking a couple of tries before getting the clasp right. He grazed the nape of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Turning back around, she realized how close to each other they now were.

"It looks good on you."

She looked up, her face flushed in embarrassment.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Their eyes locked and they both knew the moment they had been waiting for had finally come.

He leaned down ever so slightly and she angled her head up. The rest of the world seemed to disappear, the only thing that existed was each other. Their bodies moved slowly together, their hearts pounding rapidly. Time seemed to stand still and rush by at the same time.

He had waited for this moment for almost two years, ever since their almost kiss during the figure skating match and it was worth it. Her lips were so soft and warm, a shiver ran down his spine at the contact. Every part of his being seemed to shift and fall in place. His body felt like it was on fire and like it found home at the same time. It was only Akane ever that could make him feel so much.

There had always been something between them, a tension that caused their fights to be so passionate and their first kiss was just as explosive, like electricity running through her body. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. She always felt safe in his embrace and this time was no different but she also felt wanted and emboldened.

She couldn't help but want to deepen their kiss, instinctively she ran her tongue along his bottom lip and he parted for her. Inexperienced, they took their time to explore, their tongues dancing. They pulled apart resting their foreheads against each other. The only sound in the room the sounds of their heavy breathing as they tried to catch their breaths. Ranma ran his hand through her hair gently. Minds blown, it took a while before either of them spoke.

"Akane…"

There was so much he wanted to say that he never could and now felt like the time. He just had to get his thoughts together, which was even harder than usual.

"Ranma," Akane sighed dreamily.

She had a lot she wanted to say herself but any coherent thought was a long way away.

"'Kane…I…I lo-"

A loud explosion rocked the house. Ranma instinctively used his body to cover Akane's with his own. Coughing, he looked up to see three figures glaring at him.

"Ran-chan!" "Ranma darling!" "Airen!"

Ukyo, Kodachi, and Shampoo stood before them. Catching Ranma with Akane alone in her room was bad enough but their current position made it worse. They loomed over the pair, their battle auras blazing dark and ominously. Before anyone could move there was another loud bang and Akane's bedroom door came flying off its handle. Once again, Ranma instinctively pulled Akane to him, trying to protect her from the debris.

"Damn it, this isn't the bathroom!" Ryoga shouted in frustration. Then he spotted Ranma on the floor  _on top of_ Akane, who was clearly trying to shove him off her. His eyes shadowed and he whipped out his umbrella pointing it at Ranma's head. "How dare you try to take advantage of Akane like that!"

"Him? It's that hussy who's trying to take advantage!" Ukyo screamed.

"Shampoo, my love! I've finally found you!"

Mousse jumped into the room and promptly hugged Kodachi.

"Get off me, you cretin! This body is solely for Ranma-sama!"

"Akane, you die now!" Shampoo threatened.

"Shampoo my sweetie!" Happosai hiccupped before he latched himself onto her and rubbing his face between her breasts.

Ranma scooped Akane up and ran for it. He knew from experience that things were only gonna get worse. What else was he to expect from a Nerima Christmas? But at least he got to spend some time alone with Akane. She wrapped her arms him then making him curse their luck and wishing he had more time with her. If he ran fast enough though, maybe he could ditch the rest of the wrecking crew and finish telling her how he felt. And if he were really lucky, maybe he could get another kiss from her. Or two.

* * *

**A/N:**  Merry Christmas everyone! This was written for the Tumblr Secret Santa exchange for  **tendosaotome**. The prompt was anything Ranma/Akane which left it wide open but I knew I wanted to do a Christmas story. I know this leans more to fanon than I usually go and I almost never use the anime or OVAs but I couldn't ignore the Christmas OVA when writing this and the Akane Goes to the Hospital episode fit perfectly. Some of you may have guessed that this is based off  _The Gift of the Magi._ I've always enjoyed the short story and the love the two characters have for each other has always stuck with me. It was the definitely the kind of love I see that Ranma and Akane having for each other. It was a little hard to fit as neither Ranma and Akane had any possessions in canon they truly cherished so I had to make something up. I hope you like what we've come up with.

Big thanks to  **Marie Allen**  for her beta help and coming up with the book idea. I knew I wanted something that came from the little old lady but I just couldn't get it to fit and she came up with this great idea.


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